Rhode Island Bishop Upholds Right to Die

Bishop Louis E. Gelineau today defended a Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence right-to-die opinion in the case of a comatose woman, denying that withholding her nourishment is euthanasia.

In a decision issued Sunday that was backed by Gelineau, a diocesan theologian said H. Glenn Gray may morally decide to withhold nourishment from his wife, Marcia Gray, 48, of South Kingstown, a Catholic who has been in a coma for two years after a cerebral hemorrhage.

At a news conference today, the bishop defended the opinion but stressed that the church still opposes euthanasia, which is defined as the taking of an innocent life.

“The church has stood for . . . the right to life as a fundamental right,” Gelineau said. “I think we are on firm ground in providing information to (the Gray family).”

The theologian, Father Robert J. McManus, reiterated his thinking in the case. From the moment of Gray’s cerebral hemorrhage, the dying process started, McManus said. He said artificial feeding is simply prolonging the dying process.

“We are not involved in a euthanasia case. The church is always against euthanasia,” McManus said.

The right-to-die decision was believed to be the first of its kind by a diocese in the country and already is drawing criticism.

Gray filed suit in U.S. District Court seeking to force the state Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals to stop feeding his wife. His lawyer, Linda MacDonald, sought the opinion from the diocese and will use McManus’ paper in arguments before the judge this week.

Father Robert Barry, an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Illinois, said Gelineau and auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell “would be the first bishops to say it is OK to withdraw food and water. As far as I know, they are breaking ranks with their fellow bishops.”