Does anyone see an ironic connection between the feeding tube that has been inserted in the Pope's nose and the one that was removed from Terri Schiavo a week ago?
In both cases we have two people who will never again walk, talk, interact, etc. I just wonder right now what's going through the Pope's mind. I'm sure he's patiently waiting out these last days, weeks or (God forbid) months until his journey on Earth is over.
What's interesting to me is thinking about how different things would have been 50 or 100 years ago. I'm no medical historian, but I don't think we were shoving food down a person's nose. If someone couldn't swallow, well, the time has come and the end would arrive mercifully soon.
There's another irony. A friend from college recently endured a horrible illness, and if it weren't for things like feeding tubes he wouldn't be alive today. So when I talk with a tone of disdain, I need to remember that there's a different between modern medicine being used for a young person with a possibly bright future and...
Well, as much as I may be unhappy for his stance against condoms or his pointed words about the liberal/progressive movement being an agenda for Satan, I still hope the Pope can find his way home while holding on to his dignity and without undue suffering. At least Terri has the advantage of being unaware of her own plight.
Update
According to a new article I read today, the Catholics had long maintained that it was acceptable to decide against extraordinary life-support measures when a person was at the end of life. But this Pope, in 2004, made a statement that it should no longer be the case. In rough terms, it sounds like he wanted the old and dying to be kept going every possible second that science could keep them alive.
In that case I hope he's enjoys his current state for a long long long long time.
Posted by Murray Todd Williams at March 30, 2005 07:58 AMYou say, " I still hope the Pope can find his way home while holding on to his dignity and without undue suffering".
Today on NPR they were talking about how the Pope kind of WANTS to suffer, a bit, because he believes that big Catholic thing about redemption through suffering. He wants his suffering to be somewhat public, apparently, in order to 'set an example'. And of course by implication he's probably comparing himself to Jesus?
-Cynical
Posted by: Carole Mah at April 1, 2005 12:14 PM