The hospital caring for sick toddler Alfie Evans is pressing ahead with plans to switch off his life support despite an intervention from Pope Francis.
As the Catholic Herald went to press, Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool was returning to the High Court for legal advice on when Alfie’s ventilation can be withdrawn.
Last week it was reported that the 23-month-old had won a last-minute reprieve, with the hospital deciding to delay ending his life support after the Pope tweeted his support.
Alfie’s parents said after meeting Alder Hey officials that a decision on life support was on hold while “alternative options” were reviewed.
But the next day they discovered that the hospital’s lawyers had contacted the High Court to arrange a hearing for a judge to set a date on the withdrawal of life support.
His mother, Kate James, accused the hospital of giving them “false hope”.
The parents have fought a long legal battle to keep Alfie’s life support going but their case was rejected last month by the European Court of Human Rights, the last court of appeal.
Earlier a judge at the High Court had cited Pope Francis in his ruling. Mr Justice Hayden, noting that the parents were Catholic, said that Francis had cautioned against “over-zealous treatment” and that “To determine whether a clinically appropriate medical intervention is actually proportionate, the mechanical application of a general rule is not sufficient.”
Last week the Pope tweeted: “It is my sincere hope that everything necessary may be done in order to continue compassionately accompanying little Alfie Evans, and that the deep suffering of his parents may be heard. I am praying for Alfie, for his family and for all who are involved.”
Doctors say Alfie has a degenerative neurological condition and is in a “semi-vegetative state”, but he has not been definitively diagnosed.
Funeral held for Cardinal O’Brien
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has said that “there was goodness, courage and many acts of simple kindness” in the life of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, “as well as failings”.
At a funeral Mass at St Michael’s church in Newcastle, the cardinal said that, like everyone, Cardinal O’Brien came before God “empty-handed so that we can receive the one thing necessary: a full measure of God’s mercy.”
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