Death and human dignity

So our great Pope, John Paul II, is finally at rest with the Lord whom he spent at least 27 years preaching and communicating to the world. I would like to reflect a little on the suffering and the manner of death of this great exponent of the sacredness of human life.

Of suffering he had more than his fair share. It was painful to see him officiating at ceremonies and making speeches in the last few years when Parkinson's disease and other ailments had taken such a heavy toll. He did not hide his suffering; he showed that he was facing it with great courage, going on with his exacting duties, including travelling, and showing that human beings are greater than their suffering and frailty.

He died as he lived, an example of what the Christian should be. He did not refuse any medical aid intended to alleviate his suffering until he felt that the end was near. He was 84 and had done all he possibly could. His last word was a serene "Amen" - so be it, be it done according to Your will.

The Pope was a light and a beacon of hope especially for the weak, the sick and the suffering. Until the very end there never was any talk that he was too old and helpless to go on living, that he was now useless; he was assisted with loving care until the very end.

This cannot help but bring to mind the sad death of Terri Schiavo. Still in the prime of life, healthy except for brain damage, not in need of any medical intervention except for a feeding tube, not suffering, it was decided for her that she would not have wanted to live in a vegetative state and was condemned to death by starvation. What a barbaric act in what is supposed to be a civilised society! Her only crimes were that she was too helpless to feed herself unaided and that she couldn't voice her wants and wishes. Yet, she was a human being, with inherent dignity.

While the Pope's death fills us with hope, Ms Schiavo's fills us with shame and fear. Her loss is our loss because it shows what can happen when human dignity is not respected. The fear comes from the possibility that we might not be in control of our own lives if others can decide for us that we should die. I hope that Ms Schiavo's death will lead to abhorrence of this violation of the right to life and not be a precedent for what is worse to come.