Does anybody read these?

I think my living will's OK

I'm not sure if I've mentioned the issues with my living will before. You see, I don't want any type of artificial means of prolonging my life if I am either terminally ill or in a persistant vegetative state. And this, according to the Catholic Church is bad. They say it's euthanasia, and euthanasia is bad. Remember Terri Schiavo?

Anyhow, I don't want to be a burden if I have no hope for meaningful chance of recovery. My brother, who is a nurse and my medical power of attorney, knows my wishes. If there would be any doubt, could one of y'all direct someone here.

I've been worried that I'd earn myself a one-way ticket to the bad place with this attitude, being that the church said it was so bad and all.

That is, until I read this little snippet, from the Associated Press, published today.

ROME - A doctor alleged Wednesday that Pope John Paul II violated Catholic teaching against euthanasia by refusing medical care that would have kept him alive longer — a charge immediately dismissed by Vatican officials.

In an article in the Italian journal Micromega, Dr. Lina Pavanelli, an anaesthesiologist, questioned why John Paul was only outfitted with a nasal feeding tube on March 30, 2005, three days before he died. She said he clearly was in need of artificial nutrition well before then.

posted by Laura at 3:22 PM