(ANSA) - Campobasso, April 21 - The parish priests of five
Moilise dioceses on Thursday sounded their church bells in
mourning at the passage from the Lower House to the Senate of a
bill on living wills.
The priests in Carovilli, Castropignano, Duronia,
Pietrabbondante, and Salcito sounded their bells against the
approval of the living will which allows people to say in
advance how they want to be treated at the end of their lives,
refusing some useless and excessive treatment.
Carovilli parish priest Father Mario Fangio told reporters
about the initiative.
There has been resistance by Catholics to the living-will
bill, and Catholic Mps managed to insert a clause allowing
doctors to refuse to comply with patients' requests out of
conscientious objection.
The bill passed from the Lower House to the Senate Thursday
evening by 324 votes to 37.
A living will, also called a directive to physicians or
advance directive, is a document that lets people state their
wishes for end-of-life medical care, in case they become unable
to communicate their decisions.
According to the bill, there is a ban on excessive and
unnecessary end-of-life treatment and a recognition of the
patient's right to refuse treatment, also in Catholic clinics.
But the doctor may refuse to pull the plug because of
conscientious objection.
Then it is up to the hospital, clinic or hospice to see that
the patient's wishes are met, the bill says.
Molise priests protest living wills (3)
Five parishes sound mourning bells