Vatican City, Mar 21, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Any "patient in a vegetative state had the right to basic sanitary assistance – food, water and hygiene – and to efforts to prevent health complications caused by immobility," the Pope said March 20.
Speaking to 375 medical health professionals and ethicists from 49 countries who came to a conference to Rome to discuss "Life-Sustaining Treatments and Vegetative State: Scientific Advances and Ethical Dilemmas," Pope John Paul stressed Saturday that it was wrong to "doubt the human nature" of patients in a vegetative state. The conference was organized by the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations and the Pontifical Academy for Life.
"I have the duty to reaffirm forcefully that the intrinsic value and dignity of each human being does not change whatever their circumstances," said the 83-year-old pontiff.
"Even gravely ill and prevented from exercising his highest faculties, a man will always remain a man and will never become a 'vegetable' or animal," he added.