25 August 2005 :

the definitive ‘No’ by the Vatican on the question of euthanasia, does not correspond to its definitive ‘No’ against the death penalty,” declared Hands Off Cain Secretary Sergio D’Elia, in a dispute with the Vatican which had written in its daily, the Osservatore Romano, on March 22 that “Terri’s destiny does not appear dissimilar from that of many men and women sentenced to death for their crimes in the United States”.
With this statement Sergio D’Elia wanted to bring to light that which was written in the Compendium of the Social Catechism of the Catholic Church published last October in which the death penalty was not excluded due to being “the only way to effectively defend the lives of human beings from the un-just aggressor”.
“It is serious that the Vatican should say Terri had not committed any crime,” stated Hands Off Cain’s Secretary.
“Evidently the right to life, considered sacred and absolute by the Catholic Church, only regards the lives of innocents. For those who are guilty exceptions are allowed.
“It is a shame that the Vatican has a pragmatic approach only when it comes to the death penalty.
“On everything else – divorce, abortion, drugs, euthanasia, the morning after pill, homosexuality…. The Vatican’s ‘no’ is absolute, definitive, illiberal,” D’Elia concluded.