Did the Holy See loosen its stance on end-of-life?: Last week in the Church with John Allen Jr.

[@KMF3]

The pontifical academy for life can never be called as such anymore. Unfortunately I have to say that I would never trust the Vatican nowadays with any moral issues that I am currently facing or will face in the future. And this is one that hits home for me because my mother is at the end of her life. But I don't feel that I have any guidance from the Vatican anymore.

[@Bluets023]

If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature , but by our institution , great is our SIN. - Charles Darwin

[@KMF3]

Oh I didn't know the pope was for preaching the gospel... Really?

[@konczews]

Thank you, John for the another insightful commentary. Hope you stay cool in Rome. All the best!

[@vincentciliberti5026]

Thank you about Vatican news I do not know anything execpt what I read or heard about E. Orlandi, but I recall saying in my pevious posts saying that "minor Papal household" is not a suitable word. Today I write in memory of her father who said on his dying bed "....I was betrayed by the poeple I had worked for...." or something to that meaning. I am an elder and a practising and proud Catholic and have contributed to the local church, therefore I understand what a dear father whose daughter disappeared said on his dying bed. (RIP). .

[@mac3441]

The Church is, however, the only thing. It has every right to serve as a hegemonic force against evils pushed by political powers across cultures. To say anything else is to denigrate the universal, monarchal authority of Christ. You’re kidding yourself if you think that doesn’t open the door for Catholics to licitly support abortion (although this pontificate doesn’t seem to particularly care anyway).

[@Bluets023]

Day X is coming : It,s when the lights go out and they don,t come back . C.P.

[@KMF3]

Think about what's going to happen when more people own electric vehicles in the city of Rome. Man are you guys going to be screwed.😮😢

[@galaxyn3214]

...is the Vatican changing its stance of end of life care a call for help?

[@russellking1924]

Now AC machines can cost quite a bit more than a hi-tech tower fan. So I bought the latter. Please stay cool.

[@jimorr820]

Proportional use of artificial nutrition and hydration...does it maintain the living or prolong the dying?

[@KMF3]

Depends on how you make that distinction but it maintains life. All nutrition and hydration does. I don't know how you can say artificial everything that we eat nowadays is artificial.

[@MartinvonTours11.11]

The proper term, John Allen, is 'nutrition and hydration', not 'artificial nutrition and hydration'. As long as the cells can assimilate the nutrition and hydration, we as Catholics are obligated to continue. Inflicting starvation and dehydration on any person, especially on a helpless person, is a most egregious crime and a mortal sin. Suffering is not sinful, but murder is. We may never do evil that good may come of it, said St. Paul!!! The Nazi doctors originated the slogan, 'life not worth living, in order to justify their euthanasia program, T-4 Aktion. In 1941, "Ich Klage An", " I Accuse" was produced at the behest of the infamous Joseph Goebbels and his Nazi Ministry of Propaganda with the goal of selling a euthanasia program targeting the chronically ill and disabled. The late Prof. Dr. Spaemann papal advisor and philosopher, gave a presentation on this program. He had gone to the Nazi archives in Wiesbaden and viewed the film. The best actresses and actors were used. Some of the audience participants remembered seeing the film during the WWII. While preparing his talk, Prof. Spaemann had to to go to the hospital for a minor procedure. There ironically on the TV in his room, a Hollywood film was shown which was almost exactly like the Nazi film, Ich Klage An!

[@Jimboken1]

What isn't the news this week?

[@markgraham2312]

Pope Francis' hootenanny with his homeboys in Papua New Guinea? What a tagline!

[@maryalfiler9834]

Hey you & Elise make great team. There is a documentary about the making of Paris Olympics: it reveals the process and it was mammouth(sp?). I think they needed more females on committee who would have foreseen the backlash of baccanol at Olympics - someone had an ‘agenda.’ As soon as the sports started, the opening faded- they tried to remove it from all replays but if your friend DVD’d it -you could see the strange disconnected drag show. ( artists ego on display). Even Pres of Olympics, Mr Bach, bought into gender equality - whatever that implies? The black female athletes phenomenal - and beautiful. All black athletes shown like the sun!

[@RyanK-100]

I'm sure there are those Catholics who think a teen should be excommunicated for masturbation until he has repented of his mortal sin, but the Church has always had a tolerance for sin - different tolerances for different sins in different eras. Too many Conservative Catholics pick their favorite sin and make it absolute. Being tolerant doesn't mean affirming it. Sometimes you have to "vote" for the lesser of two evils so the greater evil doesn't win by you not voting. I guess this is the "softening" of doctrinal positions.

[@carolinafine8050]

Spoken just like the Grand Inquisitor in Brothers Karamazov. Also, excommunicated until he repents for masturbation? You show just how “reasonable” you are with a boneheaded comment like that.

[@MrAquinas1]

People are not caricatures, contrary to your Eighth Commandment defying presumptions, and you are way off base in your moral understanding of lesser of two evils. A prudential judgment of an unknown consequence is not a decision for an intrinsically immoral consequence.

[@MartinvonTours11.11]

No one is excommunicated for masturbation!! How ridiculous!! Get on the Magisterium program and find out! You confess it and do you best with the grace of God to avoid it, like every other serious sin. It means you may not receive Holy Communion until you confess it. The priest can discuss any circumstances that my mitigate the gravity of it.

[@Michael-OConnor1960]

John are you loosing weight? Your looking very thin

[@carolynkimberly4021]

I agree that keeping vegitative state people alive is not necessary