academic punk
04-01-2005, 08:57 PM
Today's New York Times (Apr 1):
The two top stories side by side:
Pope near death, refuses to go to the hospital, chooses instead to stay at the Vatican.
And Terri Schiavo, detailing of course the story of the bitter family battle over the severely brain damaged woman.
Now, follow me here...the POPE could have chosen to potentially prolong his life by going to the hospital, where they could have given him further and more comprehensive treatment. BUT THE MAN CHOSE NOT TO. WHY??? Because he appreciated and accepted that his time had come. And instead of saying, "well, keep the body alive, keep the heart beating, no matter what", he instead made the decision to spend his final hours in dignity, in the place that was his home, and take comfort in the fact.
It would have been FAR LESS of "extraordinary measures" for THE POPE to have gone to the hospital than for Mrs. Schiavo - tragically brain-dead, and who had commented that she would not want these measures to prolong her life - to be on the feeding tube as long as she was.
This is my own observation, not the NY Times, who as afar as I can tell did not even see the irony.
There is a time when we and our families have to accept it's our time to move on. Rest in peace and find out what comes next.
The two top stories side by side:
Pope near death, refuses to go to the hospital, chooses instead to stay at the Vatican.
And Terri Schiavo, detailing of course the story of the bitter family battle over the severely brain damaged woman.
Now, follow me here...the POPE could have chosen to potentially prolong his life by going to the hospital, where they could have given him further and more comprehensive treatment. BUT THE MAN CHOSE NOT TO. WHY??? Because he appreciated and accepted that his time had come. And instead of saying, "well, keep the body alive, keep the heart beating, no matter what", he instead made the decision to spend his final hours in dignity, in the place that was his home, and take comfort in the fact.
It would have been FAR LESS of "extraordinary measures" for THE POPE to have gone to the hospital than for Mrs. Schiavo - tragically brain-dead, and who had commented that she would not want these measures to prolong her life - to be on the feeding tube as long as she was.
This is my own observation, not the NY Times, who as afar as I can tell did not even see the irony.
There is a time when we and our families have to accept it's our time to move on. Rest in peace and find out what comes next.