Divine appointment
The passing away of the Holy Father on Saturday 2nd inst. has had such a profound effect on the whole lot of surviving humans on earth today in a way that no words can accurately describe.
It is such an overwhelming outpouring of grief that I have never seen before. Ecclesiae catholicae and her children are sad, indeed very sad but hopeful until they hear someone announce: "habemus papam". Save for this blog post, I am speechless.
Pope John Paul II (may his soul repose in eternal bliss) was a people's pope. 100 heads of state are expected to attend the funeral Friday 8th April - the most ever to have gathered in Rome. Among many firsts:
GeorgeBush - first US president to attend a papal funeral;
Rowam Williams - first Archbishop of Canterbury to attend a papal funeral.
Contrasting the death of the pontiff with that, recently, of a vegetative, unconscious, poor American woman, wife of a patient, long-suffering, caring husband through many years: to say that "life should not be unduly prolonged by artificial means" would be an understatement. Yet on March 31, Renato Cardinal Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said that removing her feeding tube was "an unjust death sentence of an innocent person". Only God knows, in this case, who is right or wrong.
The Holy Father was terminally ill; had all the wherewithal to afford artificial life support for as long as possible; but that option was not used. For me, it once again affirms the notion that life is sacred and should be left thus. Artificial life support systems and techniques may be used to "revive" life, but not to unduly prolong life - not to postpone the hour of death.
As soon as it is clear that one cannot live without artificial life support, one should be allowed one's right to die. Dying is, afterall, a divine appointment.
It is such an overwhelming outpouring of grief that I have never seen before. Ecclesiae catholicae and her children are sad, indeed very sad but hopeful until they hear someone announce: "habemus papam". Save for this blog post, I am speechless.
Pope John Paul II (may his soul repose in eternal bliss) was a people's pope. 100 heads of state are expected to attend the funeral Friday 8th April - the most ever to have gathered in Rome. Among many firsts:
GeorgeBush - first US president to attend a papal funeral;
Rowam Williams - first Archbishop of Canterbury to attend a papal funeral.
Contrasting the death of the pontiff with that, recently, of a vegetative, unconscious, poor American woman, wife of a patient, long-suffering, caring husband through many years: to say that "life should not be unduly prolonged by artificial means" would be an understatement. Yet on March 31, Renato Cardinal Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said that removing her feeding tube was "an unjust death sentence of an innocent person". Only God knows, in this case, who is right or wrong.
The Holy Father was terminally ill; had all the wherewithal to afford artificial life support for as long as possible; but that option was not used. For me, it once again affirms the notion that life is sacred and should be left thus. Artificial life support systems and techniques may be used to "revive" life, but not to unduly prolong life - not to postpone the hour of death.
As soon as it is clear that one cannot live without artificial life support, one should be allowed one's right to die. Dying is, afterall, a divine appointment.
posted by Frank Mubiru | 6:31 AM
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