The Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics at Loyola University

Breaking News: Vatican Says Vegetative patients have moral right to food, hydration

The Vatican has released a ruling today clarifying the Catholic position on food and hydration to patients in persistent vegetative states who are not expected to recover from their injuries.

The Vatican said that patients in a vegetative state, with few exceptions, have a moral right to artificial food and hydration. “In this way suffering and death by starvation and dehydration are prevented,” according to a statement released by the Vatican and approved by Pope Benedict XVI.

Nutrition and hydration support are not obligatory when such care becomes “excessively burdensome” or when patients cannot assimilate food and liquids “so that their provision becomes altogether useless,” the Vatican’s Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith wrote in a statement.

At the basis of the ruling is the moral belief that tube-feeding those near death is an "ordinary" state, and that the basic human dignity of the patient means that care should not stop.

The clarification becomes important because although Catholic doctrine does oppose euthanasia, it allows for the cessation of heroic, futile (extraordinary, and potentially painful) efforts. At question, then, has been whether or not tube-nourishment constitutes extraordinary or heroic efforts that are therefore optional under Catholic doctrine.

Ultimately, this affects more than "just" Catholics - many hospitals around the world are run by Catholic organizations who will feel bound by the ruling, and will enforce the decisions stemming from it regardless of whether or not the patient themself is Catholic.

-Kelly Hills

comments

Good article. It seems though a contradiction (in my humble opinion) that the Catholic Church allows for the cessation of extraordinary efforts, but patients who aren't expected to recover are entitled to food and hydration.

Having coded and been on a vent for a week, spending months afterward in rehab, I know I never want to go through that again and have taken legal measures to make sure of it. I hope the wishes of me and my family will be respected should it come down to it.

I trust that care would be taken for patients in vegetative states to not be in pain, so that they would be comfortable until their time here is through.

Thanks again for sharing the article.

http://chiarian.blogspot.com

I have always felt uneasy about hospitals with a strong Catholic underpinning--to the point of taking out more expensive insurance and using a more distant provider (a substantial risk in case of emergency). But is there evidence that Catholic management effects the type of care provided?

contribute a comment

Your contributions to the conversation are very much appreciated. We do have a few simple guidelines, though. Be civil. Stay on topic. We reserve the right to remove comments that violate the aforementioned guidelines. One more thing: comments are moderated, so it may take a little while for your comment to be posted. Thanks.

what is this?

A 'Nature Top 50' science blog by the editors, staff and friends of The American Journal of Bioethics. Science writes: "To follow the latest twists in ... science stories with social impact, dive into this Web log"

The original story behind this blog

What people are saying about blog.bioethics.net

recently on blog.bioethics.net

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Stem Cells: Try This At Home

I'm thinking about having a menstrual blood collection party. I've just discovered in my pile of goodies from the two stem cell conferences I attended... (more)

Karlawish Votes for Ballots on Wheels

With the upcoming Presidential election, Jason Karlawish, from the University of Pennsylvania, says that he's worried that the elderly in long-term care facilities won't get... (more)

this blog's feed

  • Subscribe
    • XML
    • Google Reader or Homepage
    • Add to My Yahoo!
    • Subscribe with Bloglines
    • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
    • Add to My AOL
    • Convert RSS to PDF
    • Add to Technorati Favorites!
    • Add to your phone
    • Get RSS Buttons

info

archives

tags

Locations of visitors to this page