Where the Rubber Hits the Road

Here is the position of the Catholic Church on when it is acceptable to remove extraordinary means of care for people in a permanently vegetative state, at least as it applies to nutrition and hydration: The church’s view is that giving food and water to a person through a feeding tube is not a medical intervention but basic care . This is always a difficult area in which to balance the moral, religious, pastoral and practical issues of someone that we love in life. I pray that this clear guideline might make the decision easier for families to make in difficult times. Click here if you want to read the original documen t