Forced Death of Vincent Lambert

The courts in France have given the go-ahead to remove the feeding tube of disabled Vincent Lambert, 42. He will die the second or third week of July 2019.

Vincent breathes on his own and is not sick, although he suffered considerable brain damage after a motorcycle accident ten years ago. Vincent's wife requested his tubes be removed while his parents (who are Catholics) insist he should be fed.

People have been fed with a feeding tube since the late 1800s. Many people with a variety of medical conditions use feeding tubes, some to administer the proper medicine, others use a feeding tube after a condition like a stroke or cancer.

The Catholic Church teaches a patient does not have to agree to heroic measures to be kept alive but a feeding tube is considered a necessary means by which disabled people receive food and water. The Catholic Church opposes the starvation death of Vincent.

As governments become more secular, we will see more cases like Vincent's. People should write down in a legal document what should be done if they become disabled. When faced with sickness, many people discover that life itself is precious and change their minds about not wanting to live in a given condition. Pope Francis has spoken out in support of Vincent's value to the human family. Living with sickness and disabilities are viewed as a means by which people become saints in our faith.

Vincent needs many prayers right now. Please pray for him.