HLI president encourages Catholics who supported Schiavo killing to "seriously repent and re-evaluate consciences"

Washington D.C., Sep 27, 2007 / 08:22 am

The president of Human Life International, Father Tom Euteneuer, said recently that the latest document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on nutrition and hydration for terminal patients should lead Catholics who supported the killing of Terri Schiavo to "seriously repent and re-evaluate their consciences."

In an article for LifeSiteNews.com, Father Euteneuer referred to the response of the CDF to a question by the US bishops about whether it was morally obligatory to give food and water to a patient in a vegetative state.  “Even though a child can figure out that it's not right to starve people to death, the Vatican set the issue to rest this week,” he said.  “In its technically-precise language, the CDF vindicated our beloved Terri Schiavo by saying that no one can dare to commit or justify such an atrocity as her killing by any interpretation of Catholic teachings.”

Father Euteneuer continued, “The response was unambiguous.” “A patient in a 'permanent vegetative state' is a person with fundamental human dignity and must, therefore, receive ordinary and proportionate care which includes, in principle, the administration of water and food even by artificial means."

“How many of us, at the time of Terri Schiavo's death, actually heard even so-called ‘good Catholics’ say that they should just let her die because ‘no one should have to live that way’ and other nonsense like that? The real message of this declaration is that no one should have to think that murderous way any more,” he said.

“The Vatican has spoken with the clear voice of conscience and has also vindicated all of us who fought for Terri's life and dignity, not because we were pro-life activists, but because we are Catholics,” Father Euteneuer continued.  “Anyone who advocated her death in 2005, whether by sloppy reasoning or culpable agreement with the atrocity, needs to seriously repent and re-evaluate his conscience in light of the Church's teaching. After this declaration, there is no excuse for not getting it right.”