Washington D.C., Mar 10, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have issued their long-awaited statement on the case of Terri Schindler Schiavo in support of continued treatment and care.
The 41-year-old Florida woman has been physically and cognitively disabled for more than a decade. Unable to eat for herself, she has been kept alive with feeding tubes. Her husband recently won a long court battle, giving him the right to remove the feeding tubes.
The court set March 18 as the date for the tubes to be removed. It will likely take weeks before Schiavo starves to death. However, Schiavo’s parents and siblings and numerous pro-life groups and leaders have been fighting to keep her alive.
The Schiavo case has also focused national attention to the moral debate about withholding nutrition and hydration from people with cognitive disabilities.