“Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., chairman of the U.S. bishops Committee for Doctrine, said the American bishops hoped the Vatican’s explanations would provide guidance to pastors, ethicists, doctors, nurses and families involved in the issue.”
Pastors, I imagine. I hope most of the rest mentioned have better sense than being influenced by the RCC. This is an immensely personal decision that should mostly be guided by the wishes of the patient.

As with so many issues, I am in complete disagreement with the Vatican. I guess if we cannot agree on the beginning or end of life there is no reason to expect that we would agree on much in between. Quality of life is as important as quantity. It is not simply a numbers game. If it were, the most blessed would live the longest, and those who die within hours of birth, or even before birth would be condemned, That is such rampant foolishness, that I will end this here.

Once again the Vatican is setting standards of how we’re suppose to live when they cannot even handle the standards of bad behavior in their own backyards. This is one of the reasons I am no longer a Catholic. It’s another, ‘do as I say, not as I do.’

I disagree.
Terri Schindler Schiavo had a disability…she was not dying. If you do some research, the doctors who examined her never came to agree that Terri was even in a “permanent vegetative state.” Regardless, basic food and water is not extraordinary means of survival…no one, even someone labeled as a person in a “permanent vegetative state,” should be denied basic medical treatment.
Frankly, I am embarrassed that Pope John Paul II’s statement on the ethical dilemma of providing food and water to people in vegetative states was so overlooked by the United States of Catholic Bishops. I think the Holy Father’s statement provided more that enough guidance, especially for those people, including priests, who did not stand up for Terri’s right to life.
I am happy the Vatican reaffirmed Pope John Paul II’s wise testament to the dignity of human life.

Her brain had shrunk. Parts of it had turned to jell-o or outright started to liquefy.
I don’t know what your definition of “life” is, but that sure isn’t mine.
At the very least, Terri’s touching struggle to reach the blessed Peace of the Afterlife reaffirmed to many the need for clear, legally-binding instructions in the event that they are unable to speak for themselves.
I’ve demanded my friends and family to smother me with a pillow if I’m ever in Terri’s position. I’ve left it in writing, too.
What I don’t understand is what these Christians are afraid of… I mean, not to sound crass, but Terri was going to go to Heaven anyway, right? The only thing keeping her body rollin’ along was mortally made medical technology – not divine intervention. When even God clearly didn’t want her on earth anymore, why not release her?
Thank God some Judge was interested in acting on Terri’s behalf, and not her selfish parents whose only desire was to cling to the husk that had been their daughter. Sheesh!

I really don’t see anything intrusive about the RCC’s actions here—they are simply defining Catholic doctrine on the matter, so that Catholics (whom I define here as “those who actually give a damn what the RCC teaches”) know what the Church’s position is. Since no one here, excepting possibly Jennifer, seems to be Catholic, it basically does not affect any of us.
And I certainly don’t think that people wanting to keep their child alive is simply “selfish.” Or at least I certainly hope that, should I ever have a sudden heart attack, those present will be “selfish” enough to deny me Heaven for a while and call an ambulance. But NightLad is right, hopefully people will learn from the Schiavo situation to leave instructions on this issue. For example, I’ve made it extremely clear to all of my family members that if they even THINK of TOUCHING that plug, they’ll be having a serious “Poltrigeist” situation on their hands. But that’s just me.
God bless.

Dear sirs or madems, I think Teeri neeed to be released,with as much dignity as possible everyone had their peice to say and at the end the only one no one ever thought of was of course her. Folowing her wishes was her husband,yes he loved her but all that changed, I am sure she would understand,you can only wait so long for a loved one to either (a.)get better or (b.) die, or everything in between. I am sure that if it was her spouse instead of her that she would have done the same,(move on).Get another Husband. I am sure she would want children etc…..! So what is the deal here? Everyone wants to live their life.Period.People have the right to happiness,and a decent lifestyle.Even the judge figured that out.How much fun is that to be confined to a bed and not able to make love to her husband or have children. Common sence tell’s me that that would break my heart.He LET HER GO. Hard to be sure he probebly will be something that will be heartbreaking to him for the rest of his life that he could never have children with her and that their life togeather was cut way to short.I keep the whole family in my prayers. Thank- you for letting me post my thoughts here. Noni from Ohio.

NightLad says, “What I don’t understand is what these Christians are afraid of… I mean, not to sound crass, but Terri was going to go to Heaven anyway, right?”
They’re afraid of this dangerous logic of yours. Anyone who’s life we don’t want to support and who is “going to Heaven anyway” is OK to kill? The problem is not with where the victims are going but where we are going once we accept that premise.
I’m not sure if the judge acted in Terri’s best interest or not. No one is. The action was certainly in her husband’s interest if not her parents, though. Don’t call the parents selfish, who were willing to care for Terri at their expense, and leave her husband’s interests out of it. Complicate things too much?

Noni Wolenski, you are an empathic loving soul. You should share your thoughts more often.

Eutychus, Terri wasn’t killed. Terri’s brain was dead, and other physical parts of her were breaking down as well.
It wasn’t legally up to Terri’s parents to make a call if her life-support system was turned off. It was her husbands. Terri had already told him if anything ever happened to her she wouldn’t want to live as she said, a vegatable. I’ll say this if our daughter who died from leukemia had lingered with a brain that was turning to liquid, we’d have had her LSS turned off in a heartbeat. We would not have wanted to trap her soul in a useless body when she could be with the Heavenly family.

I was saddened by the condition of Terri’s body for sooo long. I am terrified that a similar situation would happen to me; therefore, I have left a Notarized and legal Living Will, instructing my brother to terminate my life if it is only being sustained by a feeding tube, or other worldly major medical “miracle.”
I agree that in Terri’s case, her husband’s wishes were paramount. He was wise to “turn off” the LSS, and let Terri die in peace. Whatever “soul” was left in her, was gone long before the life support was ended. And he had the right to “move on,” and have a life. More power to the authorities that they allowed the humane ending of this poor girl’s life. RIP

I feel sorry for Terri for having to be sustained in that body for so long; and I feel sorry for her family. I am so glad that she was given permission and assistance to finally die, so she could go to heaven. I feel sure that she wanted to be released.
I, too, have made an “advance directive” and told all my family to not sustain my life more than 30 days, if the time ever came for this decision. My mother made us kids promise not to use anything to extend her life, if the situation did arise, which it did. I was the only one who was willing to abide by her decision; it’s a good thing she put it in writing.
If nothing else, Terri’s situation did accomplish a world-wide awareness and motivation for many people to execute an “advance directive” instead of thinking “it won’t happen to me.”