Monday, February 9, 2009

Can You Imagine?- Italian Politics & Religion Unbelievable.

After so many years can you imagine a family having to battle with the Catholic church over such a matter. At this point I believe the church has no right to intervene. They only cause more emotional pain for the family and if they believe that each one of us will answer to our deeds on earth with our maker, then they should let the family take Eluana off life support and the nature course will happen.
Details about the story below. courtesy of BBC News


Eluana Englaro, the Italian woman at the centre of a right-to-die debate, has died, the health minister has said.

Maurizio Sacconi made the announcement during a debate in Italy's Senate over an emergency government decree to stop doctors withdrawing her life support.

Ms Englaro, 38, had been in a vegetative state since being injured in a car crash in 1992.

Doctors at a private clinic in the northern city of Udine had been withholding her food since Friday.

They had earlier said Ms Englaro might live for another two weeks.

Ms Englaro's father, Beppino, had been battling with the courts in Italy to let his daughter die since 1999, insisting it was her wish.

Italy's centre-right Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi drafted a decree last week to prevent doctors from letting her die, but President Giorgio Napolitano refused to sign it.

The government's move sparked fury among centre-left opposition politicians, who accused it of trying to exploit the case.

Ms Englaro was previously cared for at a church-run hospital in Lecco, but was transferred to La Quiete clinic in Udine last week, after it said it would receive her and allow her to die.

The Vatican described the transfer as "abominable" and tantamount to murder.

Italy does not allow euthanasia. Patients have a right to refuse treatment, but they are not allowed to give advance directions on the treatment they wish to receive if they become unconscious.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This issue raised more polemics in Italy than anything else in the last 15 years.