Among others, the Vatican "Note" recalls a document issued by the very Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on May 5th, 1980, with the title "Declaration on Euthanasia". Such document illustrates the "distinction between proportionate and disproportionate means, as well as the one between therapeutic treatments and the usual care the patient must receive", says the Note, underlining some of its excerpts. "In the imminence of inevitable death, despite the means used said the 1980 document, – and in conscience, it is right to take the decision to give up treatments which would just involve a precarious and painful prolongation of life, without nevertheless interrupting the usual care the patient must receive in this case". Moreover it is further said in today’s document, recalling the 1980 one, "it is even less right to interrupt the ordinary care for patients who don’t find themselves before imminent death, as is generally the case with those who find themselves in ‘vegetative state’", for whom death would be caused exactly by the interruption of ordinary care". (to be continued)
