ROME, April 21, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’s Alex Schadenberg issued a special commentary yesterday on Pope John Paul’s recent address to the International Congress on “Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State”.
Schadenberg said, “I feel the need to make a commentary on Pope John Paul II’s address to the international congress. Many people who were not present at the congress, have attempted to distort the papal address, by either misinterpreting the address or by attacking the very nature of the papal address.”“Pope John Paul II established two very important precedents by making this address on March 20,” Schadenberg continued. “First, the Pope effectively reinforced the human nature of all persons, no matter their state in life. He especially reinforced the humanity of people in a vegetative state.”“Second,” Schadenberg said, “the Pope stated that people in a vegetative state have the right to receive basic health care which includes nutrition and hydration. Therefore, Pope John Paul II makes it clear that to withhold or withdraw food and fluids from a person in a vegetative state who is not otherwise dying is euthanasia.” Read the full text of the Papal address and commentary from Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, in a LifeSiteNews.com Special Report at: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/apr/040420b.html