Eluana's father Beppino Englaro went all the way to the highest Italian Court to receive the right to discontinue her nutrition and hydration, arguing that she would not have wanted to continue living in her current state. The court granted his request after a series of appeals. Since the nuns who had cared for Eluana for 14 years refused to comply with his wishes, Beppino had her moved to a hospital in Udine, Northern Italy, that was willing to carry out the court order.
A constitutional crisis emerged when emergency legislation designed to save Eluana's life was vetoed by President Giorgio Neopolitano. Prime Minister Berlusconi then stepped in with his own legislation, vowing that he would go so far as to change the Italian Constitution if it would save her life (for the first time over here, I found myself saying Go Berlusconi). The bill was expected to pass within 3 days. Eluana passed away the evening of February 9, just as this measure was being debated on the Parliament floor. The suddenness of her death was immediately questioned, as her conditions were reported as being stable the morning she died. An autopsy is being performed.
My roommate and I happened to be watching TV online when she died. It was remarkable to see how openly the news reporters expressed their sadness over the turn of events. A beautiful story just appeared on Zenit about an Italian missionary who returned a national award in protest of the President's refusal to save Eluana's life:
Father Trento lists four specific cases of comatose and "useless" people that he welcomed into his home and, quite simply, loved. For those who are immune to the euthanasia debate, his imagery presents a powerful and compelling argument. His no-nonsense statement challenges all of us to see the beauty and meaning inherent within life, regardless of a person's consciousness.
No comments:
Post a Comment