From: FeedBlitz <feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com>
Date: May 5, 2018 at 2:18:24 AM EDT
To: rcapone15 <rcapone15@comcast.net>
Subject: Medical Futility Blog – Pope Francis Supports Principles of Medical Futility, Non-beneficial Treatment, and Therapeutic Obstinacy
Reply-To: FeedBlitz <feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com>

Feedblitz is a website that supports euthanasia!!!

 

 

Pope Francis Supports Principles of Medical Futility, Non-beneficial Treatment, and Therapeutic Obstinacy   In a recent message to the World Medical Association, Pope Francis confirmed his support (and that of Catholic doctrine) for principles of medical futility, non-beneficial treatment, and therapeutic obstinacy. “The growing therapeutic capabilities of medical science . . . have become ever more effective, but they are not always beneficial: they can sustain, or even replace, failing vital functions, but that is not the same as promoting health.” “Greater wisdom is called for today, because of the temptation to insist on treatments that have powerful effects on the body, yet at times do not serve the integral good of the person.” “[I]t is morally licit to decide not to adopt therapeutic measures, or to discontinue them, when their use does not meet that ethical and humanistic standard that would later be called ‘due proportion in the use of remedies.’ . . .  It thus makes possible a decision that is morally qualified as withdrawal of ‘overzealous treatment.'” “Such a decision responsibly acknowledges the limitations of our mortality, once it becomes clear that opposition to it is futile.  euthanasia is to end life and cause death.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ {Abyssum} Dr. Capone writes to me {RHG}: “This secular site (Feedblitz) tends very much to espouse the point of view of the secular culture of death by their statements over the years. Now they can say they’ve an ally with the Pope. One of the problems with futility is that it’s very hard to define medically. If a specific treatment keeps an important physiological function normal (and lab value) such as dialysis, but doesn’t cure the underlying disease, is that futile? Medical futility is all in the eye of the beholder. Further, this particular site views the provision of artificial nutrition and hydration for the most part to be futile. This is not in keeping with St JPII exhortation in 2004 {which exhortation of the Pope was based to a large extent on the text of my dissent from the Texas Catholic Conference’s statement supporting the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration and the Statement of the NCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities of which I was also the author} that such care {the supplying of nutrition and hydration} is normal human care.  This comment as it is represented here is also not the same as that contained in the Catechism 2278, allowing for the stopping of “overzealous”, extraordinary or disproportionate therapies when they are burdensome to self or others or no longer effective but always with the intention of ending such a treatment, but not the intention to end a burdensome life. Further, the decision, as it says in the Catechism should be made by the patient or if unable, the family, not some professional or bureaucratic third party. Futility laws empower such third parties.  I’m afraid this will be bad news for orthodox Catholic physicians and patients to be told the Pope says it’s ok for the doctors unilaterally stop “futile” treatment and for patients/families to accept this.