Friday, December 02, 2005

Death-Merchant in the Catholic Herald

For whatever reason, the "Catholic" Herald of Milwaukee still carries columns by Fr. Richard 'The Pompous and Powdered" McBrien, a suspect of the first order.

Here, McBrien attempts to justify the murder of Terri Schiavo:

The controversy surrounding the Terri Schiavo case earlier this year surprised a number of well educated, middle-aged and older Catholics [that is to say, people just like ME! who are not like the unwashed, stupid, jacks who pay for this newspaper] who had always been taught, from the days of Pope Pius XII (d. 1958), that no one is required to employ extraordinary means to stay alive. [I will avoid mentioning the difference between 'extraordinary means' and food/hydration. Further, I will avoid mentioning that "stay alive" implies a situation NOT like Ms. Schiavo's.--RMcB]

Over the centuries, the concept of "extraordinary means" varied as medical technology evolved, but by the middle of the 20th century the term clearly applied to the use of a feeding tube to keep alive someone in a persistent vegetative state with no realistic hope of recovery.
[Is it "stay alive" or "keep alive", Father? And since PVS is not an accepted medical definition, ...oh, well.]

The Chief Apologist for "Kill Her!" Schiavo--Terry's "husband" then wanders into a discussion of Intelligent Design.

Who cares?

HT: Sieze the Day

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