What a follow up to the whole Schiavo mess this might turn out to be, the Pope is apparently going on a feeding tube, what if his condition deteriorates into a coma? Things could get complicated.
''In the pope's speech, delivered March 20 of last year to doctors, ethicists and scientists from 40 countries, he argued that a sick person, even in a vegetative state, ''still has the right to basic health care (nutrition, hydration, cleanliness, warmth, etc.) and to the prevention of complications related to his confinement to bed...
...''The closest thing we have to a living will for John Paul is this document he issued a year ago,'' said the Rev. Thomas Reese, a Vatican expert and editor of America, a Catholic weekly. ''Clearly, it's going to be very difficult to disconnect any fluids or hydration from him because that can be interpreted as his will about how he would want to be treated.''
There are no Vatican rules or traditions for who makes medical decisions for a pontiff. And many say that the prospect of a living, incapacitated pope is a medical dilemma with potentially disastrous implications for a church that is an absolute monarchy in which all power is vested in him. What would happen, for instance, if John Paul should become mentally unfit? What if he is attached to a respirator and can't be taken off? Who could - or would - disconnect the pope?'' From : Pope's words his own ''living will''?.
So the Pope might live a few years while completely out of it? Does this mean that all his proclamations are set in stone until he dies? The Church is stuck in limbo for the duration of his coma? Or more likely it seems (looking back on historical incidents of ''weak'' Popes) will other Vatican functionaries start ruling in the Popes name? Perhaps some of the same Bishops that saw fit to issue statements regarding the American election process?
Article comments
1 - RJ
Very thought-provoking post.
2 - DrPat
Perhaps some of the same Bishops that saw fit to issue statements regarding the American election process?
Such as?
3 - Paul
My understanding is that while nutrition and water are required by the Catholic Church policy, air is not--artificial respirators and devices to maintain heartbeat need not be connected.
4 - Shark
"...the Pope is apparently going on a feeding tube, what if his condition deteriorates into a coma? Things could get complicated..."
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...
Only thing better would be if Tom Delay pulled the plug on his terminally ill father...
Oh wait, that's already happened.
Nevermind.
"Death To Republican Hypocrites!" -- William Travis, 1836
5 - Matt Wardlaw
Seems like we're there already - The Pope has been "dead" for a long time, and should have relinquished power quite some time ago - what a joke.
6 - Eric Olsen
RoboPope
7 - Victor Plenty
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.