President Gian Luigi
Gigli, MD
Dept. of Neuroscience
Ospedale Santa Maria
delta Misericordia
33100 Udine, Italy
39 0432 552721
39 0432 552719
Vice President George Isajiw, MD
7012 Penarth Avenue
Upper Darby, PA 19082-3711, USA
Secretary General
Francois Blin, MD
37, rue du Gue d'Orient
95470 Saint Witz, France
33 1 34685576
Treasurer
Alejandro R. Ferrero, MD
Junin1120
1113 Buenos Aires, Argentina
54 1 48237300
54 1 44754312
Ecclesiastical Assistant
Rev. P. Vitor Feytor Pinto
Rua da Beneflciencia, 7
1000 Lisboa, Portugal
351 21 7931435
351 21 7954212
Immediate Past President Walter Osswald.MD
Rua do Passeio Alegre, 822,2T
4150 Porto, Portugal
351 22 6184001
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FIAMC
Federation Internationale des Associations Medicales Catholiques
World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations
Statement from FIAMC for Press Release -
Vatican City, 6 March, 2005
SAVE TERRI'S LIFE
Terri Schindler-Schiavo is condemned to die of
starvation and dehydration unless a new court decision intervenes.
She is not guilty of any crime, except to be a
burden for her husband and for a selfish society. She is not even clinically
in a permanent vegetative state, but she has been refused a re-examination
of her clinical condition.
The legal basis for this inhuman decision is that
she allegedly had once expressed the wish not to be fed "artificially".
However, her parents and siblings contend that this is not her will and that
she, in fact, would follow the clear teaching of the Catholic Church about
assisted nutrition and hydration. They raise the possibility that her
husband and legal guardian has manifestedly abused her.
However, the real core of the problem is the
attempt to decide about the right to life of a human being, not on the basis
of her/his personal dignity, but on an external evaluation of the quality of
life.
The World Federation of Catholic Medical
Associations is deeply concerned for the possible consequences of such a
precedent setting decision in the United States system of law. In fact, if
Terri, an innocent person, can be condemned to death, every person whose
life will be considered of insufficient "quality" by a guardian or the court
will be in danger of euthanasia performed by withdrawal of basic and
ordinary care.
The importance of this case goes beyond this
deplorable circumstance. It will open the floodgates to euthanasia in the
United States, at all ages, without even a legislative decision.
The World Federation of Catholic Medical
Associations, aware of the risks of this decision for both society and the
future of the medical profession, strongly appeals to the United States
authorities to react immediately and effectively to save Terri's life and to
avoid the inevitable consequences.
The World Federation of Catholic Medical
Associations appeals to the Bishops of the United States to mobilize every
resource and influence of the Catholic Church to counteract this impending
tragedy.
Following the teaching of Pope John Paul II and
the evidence of medical sciences, we believe that no human being, including
those in the permanent vegetative state, can be denied the respect due to a
human person by provision of food and water, without which any person,
regardless of his/her state of health, would be condemned to death.
Such a perversion of
medicine will be the source of discrimination against other human beings,
with enormous risks for human rights and democracy.
Gian Luigi Gigli, M.D.
Rome, 6 March, 2005
President of FIAMC
Secretariat:
FIAMC,
Palazzo San Calisto, 00120 Vatican City, 39 06 69887372
Executive Director. Mrs. IsabeUe Biondi 39 06 9087191
www.fiamc.org |
