Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Vatican: John Paul II Was Not Euthanized

The Christian Post
By Katherine T. Phan
Christian Post Reporter
Tue, Oct. 02 2007 01:35 PM ET

Vatican officials have denied charges made by a doctor who alleges that Pope John Paul II’s death was caused by euthanasia since he was not fitted earlier with a feeding tube.

In an article in the Italian magazine, Micromega, Dr. Lina Pavanelli, an anesthesiologist, argues that the late pontiff should have been fitted with a feeding tube earlier than March 30, 2005 – three days before his death – when the Vatican announced that he had been fitted with a nasal feeding tube. The delayed insertion of the feeding tube deprived him of necessary medical care that could have prolonged his life, thereby violating the church teachings on euthanasia, according to Pavenelli.

She also postulates in the article that it was probably John Paul who refused the feeding tube even though pope’s physicians may have explained the situation to him.

“When the patient knowingly refuses a life-saving therapy, his action together with the remissive or omissive behavior of doctors, must be considered euthanasia, or more precisely, assisted suicide,” concludes Pavenelli.

The Vatican immediately dismissed the charges made by the doctor, saying last Wednesday that the tube had been inserted well before they announced the procedure. Vatican officials also said Pavenelli based her accusations on news release and press reports since she did not have access to John Paul’s medical records.
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