"I'm ashamed of him," Jim Eckert, who was then the Schindlers' attorney, said of Lynch at the time. Lynch also issued a statement in February that said the ultimate decision rested with Schiavo's husband, though he has since signed statements by the Catholic bishops of Florida that urged Schiavo's feeding be continued. Catholic scholars, such as Walter and Paris, say Lynch's original position was supported by more than four centuries of precedent.
In the 1530s, the renowned Spanish theologian Francisco de Vitoria wrote that a sick man could refuse food without risk of committing a mortal sin if he had no hope of survival. Another prominent Catholic theologian, Domingo Banez, built on Vitoria's premise in 1595 by establishing the guideline that "ordinary" means of medical treatment were obligatory, but "extraordinary" means -- methods that would cause great pain or burdens -- were not required. That position was further solidified in 1957 by Pope Pius XII, considered the modern architect of Catholic medical ethics, who told a group of anesthesiologists that they were not required to provide life-sustaining care unless there was a reasonable hope of recovery.
 
Friday's Question:
| | |
|
For years, though, theologians such as Doerflinger have contended that tube-feeding is not an extraordinary means, arguing against theologians such as Paris and Walter. Doerflinger's pro-life committee issued recommendations in the 1990s that discouraged the removal of feeding tubes from patients in a persistent vegetative state, though the full conference noted in its guidelines that the issue "hasn't really been settled."
In Florida, the Schindlers have not been without their Catholic supporters throughout the 1990s, even as the church initially was rejecting their pleas. Students at a Catholic high school in Tampa raised $4,000 for the Schindlers by selling ribbons. Conservative priests posted letters of support on the Internet.
As the case bounced from one Florida courtroom to another, the Catholic leadership worldwide was veering toward a more vocal stance against abortion and assisted suicide.
In spring 2004, Pope John Paul II told the audience at an ethics conference that providing food and water was "morally obligatory."
It was just what the Schindlers needed.
They highlighted the pope's comments in a public relations campaign that has drawn masses of supporters, including antiabortion activists and advocates for the disabled. But judges have said the pope's remarks do not affect the legal case.
"Terri wants to do what the pope has instructed her to do, which is basically what God has instructed her to do," said Pat Anderson, one of the Schindlers' attorneys.
The pope's statements have become all the more intriguing to bioethicists because of his failing health. Some Catholic thinkers have begun to wonder what decisions would be made if the 84-year-old pope -- who has Parkinson's disease and recently received a tracheostomy -- needed a feeding tube.
The pope's condition is preventing him from participating in Easter Sunday services for the first time in his 26-year papacy. But the protesters outside Schiavo's hospice were praying for him and for the woman his words have been unable to save.
