Vatican condemns Schiavo death

2005-03-31 22:43

Washington - The Vatican strongly condemned the way Terri Schiavo was allowed to die on Thursday while President George W Bush and other Republican leaders pointedly reserved their sympathy for her parents who fought to save the severely brain-damaged woman.

Reactions to the death of the 41-year-old woman in a Florida hospice highlighted the divide about the way Schiavo's fate was decided. And, the battle is set to continue.

Schiavo, who had been in what doctors called a "persistent vegetative state" for 15 years, died 13 days after her feeding tube was removed amid bitter acrimony between the parents and her husband highlighted the divide.

Parents Bob and Mary Schindler are fervent Roman Catholics and the Vatican denounced the circumstances of her death while one cardinal called it murder.

"A life was interrupted," said Vatican spokesperson Joaquin Navarro-Valls in a statement which called Schiavo's death "arbitarily anticipated".

"There is no doubt there can be no exception to the principle of the sacredness of life from conception to its natural end," said Navarro-Valls.

'Accomplices to murder'

Cardinal Renato Martino said just before the death was announced that those who failed to stop Schiavo's dying were "accomplices" to murder.

He said everyone should "avoid what, in practice and without euphemisms, would represent a murder, to which it is impossible to be a passive observer without becoming an accomplice".

"The prolonged lack of food is transforming itself into an unjust death sentence of an innocent person in one of its most-inhuman and cruel forms, that of hunger and thirst," said the cardinal, who is head of the Vatican Council for Justice and Peace.

The US president carefully expressed his support for the Schindlers without mentioning the woman's husband, Michael Schiavo, who had argued for more than seven years that his stricken wife should be allowed to die.

"Today, millions of Americans are saddened by the death of Terri Schiavo.

Living at the mercy of others

"Laura and I extend our condolences to Terri Schiavo's family. I appreciate the example of grace and dignity they have displayed at a difficult time," he said.

"I urge all those who honour Terri Schiavo to continue to work to build a culture of life where all Americans are welcomed and valued and protected, especially those who live at the mercy of others," said the president.

"The essence of civilisation is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak.

"In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in the favour of life," said Bush.

- AFP