From the BBC:
A woman at the centre of the right-to-die debate in Italy has been moved to a clinic where she will be allowed to die after 17 years in a vegetative state.
Eluana Englaro was transferred by ambulance overnight to the private facility in the northern city of Udine.
The Vatican, of course, is all in a snit, hurling incendiary quotes at newspapers (“stop this murder!”) and making veiled references in papal addresses (“The true response cannot be to give death, even if it is seemingly more soothing”).
But doesn’t the Vatican have bigger p.r. demons to battle? Like, uh, its bringing holocaust deniers in from the cold and doing such a good job of hushing up complaints about serial sex offenders—most recently in Alaska—that it’s starting to look like aiding and abetting?
It would seem that even close to home the Vatican can ony scream about not having their own way with public policy. Just as was the case in Washington with I-1000 citizens in Venice likely hear the pope rant, shrugg their sholders and go out and do the right thing anyway. His sillyness looses more influnce and power with each passing day.
How dare they? What hubris! I never fail to be surprised that every move the Vatican makes is more vile than the last. They will not and can not win the debate about a person’s right to end of life decisions. Their total disregard for the freedom of the individual is reminiscent
of communism and fascism.
Let’s stop acting like the crazy leadership of a ridiculous, dying religion is relevant. And then maybe soon they won’t be.
The title of this blog post is awesome.
Re: the Vatican,
“New Catholic bishop called Katrina ‘divine retribution’ for New Orleans’ permissive sexual attitudes”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb…
My headline would be “Bad P.R.: Papa Rat channels Pat Robertson”