March 27, 2005
Interesting Dilemma : What if the Pope enters a "persistent vegetative state"?
by Liza Sabater
BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Pope health poses Vatican dilemma
Father Thomas Reese, author of the book Inside the Vatican, believes that in the modern world, with all the advances of medical science, the Church is facing a dilemma."Suppose the Pope goes into a coma, or suppose a Pope becomes mentally unbalanced," he says.
"If it gets to that kind of a situation where the Pope is very sick and can't function, but he's not even well enough to resign, then we don't know what to do.
"In the Catholic Church there is no procedure for dealing with a pope who becomes incapacitated.
"This could cause a major constitutional crisis in the Church, because medical technology today can keep someone alive way beyond the point where they are capable of functioning."
Over the centuries, the tradition has been for popes to die in office, rather than retire.
This is my question to practicing Catholics out there --and I doubt there are any in my readership, but who knows:
- Does it really affect you as a Catholic if there were to ever be 2 popes; one retired, the other active?
- If Man is not supposed to meddle with God's will; wouldn't it prudent to say that a medically induced vegetative state is a sin? Wouldn't it be a sin to put a person into a Man-made limbo when it was God's will for that person to die and even go to heaven?
Posted by Liza Sabater in Bio-Power, Body, Catholicism, Culture of Life, Ethics, Health, History, Law, Religion, Right To Die
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Say it loud, say it proud!
Well, actually, there is historical precedent for having 2 popes. In fact, there was a time when there were 3!
In the 14th Century, politics in the Holy Roman Empire caused the Papacy to be moved to Avignon, in France. Then a Roman Pope arose. Then, reformers tried to de-legitimize both of those Popes, and they promoted a third Pope. Finally, all got worked out and the Papacy returned to Rome and a single Pope.
I'm not Catholic, but I think that historical point is worth making.
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Comment by: liza at March 28, 2005 12:18 AM
now that you mention it, isn't there like a whole series of "false popes" that reigned a while during the renaissance? now, i'm going to have to google it.
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Comment by: lorraine at March 28, 2005 08:55 AM
Yes. There were popes and anti-Popes, most of which happened during the schism of Avignon/Rome. Interesting time in the church's history. There was also the time when the Holy Roman Emperor, in a snit, sacked the city of Rome. That got him into a bit of trouble. There were warrior popes, too. Popes with children. And, if historical legend is to be believed, there was even a female pope, Pope Joan. It's not clear whether she exists or not, but it's a damn good story.
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Comment by: Thresholder at March 27, 2005 09:18 PM