Latest news with #Catholic-majority
Daily Tribune
12-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Writer first to die under Italy fast-track assisted suicide law
AFP | Rome A writer suffering from Parkinson's disease has become the first to die through medically assisted suicide under a fast-track regional law in Italy, campaigners said yesterday. Daniele Pieroni died at home on May 17, three months after the new legislation was passed by regional authorities in Tuscany, the pro-euthanasia Luca Coscioni Association said. The Italian Constitutional Court ruled in September 2019 that assisted suicide was allowed for patients in certain circumstances. But the national parliament has yet to adopt any legislation, which means that obtaining permission to die is difficult and can take years. In February, Tuscany -- ruled by the centre left -- became the first of Italy's 20 regions to set out its own rules streamlining and speeding up the request process. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition is broadly against euthanasia and is challenging the Tuscan law in court. But any decision on that will come too late to affect Pieroni's choice. Born in 1961, the writer had been suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2008 and was forced to use a feeding tube for 21 hours a day, the Luca Coscioni Association said in a statement. 'The lethal drug was prepared at his home, which Daniele self-administered' in the presence of doctors and his family, the statement added. It has called on other regions in the Catholic-majority country to follow Tuscany's lead. 'Too many people continue to suffer or emigrate to die with dignity,' said the association. 'We invite all regions to act to guarantee freedom and respect for people's wishes.' Helping someone take their own life is technically illegal in Italy, punishable with between five and 12 years behind bars. But the Constitutional Court made an exception for those facing an incurable illness causing 'intolerable' physical or psychological suffering, where they are kept alive by life-support treatments but remain capable of making 'free and informed decisions'.
The Citizen
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Italian writer becomes first to die under fast-track assisted suicide law
A Parkinson's-stricken writer in Tuscany has died through assisted suicide, challenging national inaction and igniting political tensions over euthanasia. A writer suffering from Parkinson's disease has become the first to die through medically assisted suicide under a fast-track regional law in Italy, campaigners said Wednesday. Daniele Pieroni died at home on May 17, three months after the new legislation was passed by regional authorities in Tuscany, the pro-euthanasia Luca Coscioni Association said. Legislation not yet adopted The Italian Constitutional Court ruled in September 2019 that assisted suicide was allowed for patients in certain circumstances. But the national parliament has yet to adopt any legislation, which means that obtaining permission to die is difficult and can take years. In February, Tuscany — ruled by the centre left — became the first of Italy's 20 regions to set out its own rules streamlining and speeding up the request process. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition is broadly against euthanasia and is challenging the Tuscan law in court. But any decision on that will come too late to affect Pieroni's choice. Pieroni living with Parkinson's for 16 years Born in 1961, the writer had been suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2008 and was forced to use a feeding tube for 21 hours a day, the Luca Coscioni Association said in a statement. ALSO READ: 'Let me die in peace': Assisted suicide goes to court 'The lethal drug was prepared at his home, which Daniele self-administered' in the presence of doctors and his family, the statement added. It has called on other regions in the Catholic-majority country to follow Tuscany's lead. 'Too many people continue to suffer or emigrate to die with dignity,' said the association. 'We invite all regions to act to guarantee freedom and respect for people's wishes.' ConCourt makes exception Helping someone take their own life is technically illegal in Italy, punishable with between five and 12 years behind bars. But the Constitutional Court made an exception for those facing an incurable illness causing 'intolerable' physical or psychological suffering, where they are kept alive by life-support treatments but remain capable of making 'free and informed decisions'. Since the 2019 court ruling, eight people have committed medically assisted suicide in Italy, the association told AFP. The first was a tetraplegic man, Federico Carboni, 44, from the Marche region, in June 2022. NOW READ: Assisted suicide: Ultimate freedom for human beings?
Local Italy
11-06-2025
- Health
- Local Italy
Italian writer first to die under Tuscany's assisted suicide law
Pieroni, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, died at his home on Saturday, May 17th, the pro-euthanasia Luca Coscioni Association said on Wednesday. Pieroni's death came over three months after a landmark right-to-die bill was passed by Tuscany's authorities. The Italian Constitutional Court ruled in September 2019 that assisted suicide was allowed for patients 'kept alive by life-support treatments and suffering from an irreversible condition" as long as the condition caused 'physical and psychological suffering' considered 'intolerable". At the time, the court urged parliament to pass a law to provide a clear legal framework setting out the circumstances in which assisted suicide was possible. But the invitation went unheeded, with multiple consecutive governments sidestepping the issue. This means that patients looking to resort to assisted suicide in Italy often wait years before being granted permission by national health authorities. In February, Tuscany became the first of Italy's 20 regions to set out its own right-to-die rules, streamlining and speeding up the request process. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government is strongly opposed to euthanasia and is currently challenging Tuscany's bill in court. But any court decision on the matter will come too late to affect Pieroni's choice. Born in 1961, the writer had been suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2008 and was forced to use a feeding tube for 21 hours a day, the Luca Coscioni Association said in a statement. Pieroni 'self-administered" a lethal drug in the presence of doctors and his family, it added. The Luca Coscioni Association has called on other regions in the Catholic-majority country to follow Tuscany's lead. "Too many people continue to suffer or emigrate to die with dignity," the association said. "We invite all regions to act to guarantee freedom and respect for people's wishes." Since the 2019 Constitutional Court ruling, eight people have committed medically assisted suicide in Italy. The first was Federico Carboni, 44, from the central Marche region, in June 2022.
Herald Malaysia
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Filipinos mourn priest-turned-peace negotiator
Luis Gamboa Jalandoni is credited with several landmark peace deals between govt and communists Jun 09, 2025 Luis Gamboa Jalandoni is seen in this file image. (Courtesy: MANILA: People in the Catholic-majority Philippines have paid tributes to Luis Gamboa Jalandoni, a former Catholic priest turned peace negotiator between the government and communist rebels, who passed away on June 7. Jalandoni, former chairman of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), a peace negotiating body of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), died in Utrecht, the Netherlands, at the age of 90, his family members confirmed. He had been living in the European country in self-imposed exile after the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte labelled him a terrorist in 2022 after the breakdown of peace talks between the government and communists. 'We express our condolences to Ka Louie's family, whose love, strength, and support accompanied him through decades of service to the Filipino people's revolutionary cause,' the NDFP and CPP said in a joint statement on June 7. Ka stands for 'elder brother' in Filipino. The statement hailed Jalandoni as a person 'beloved by the masses, a true internationalist, revolutionary leader and stalwart of peace.' Jalandoni was born in 1935 to a wealthy landowning family in Negros Occidental province. He joined priestly formation and was ordained a priest. He served as the head of Social Action Committee of Diocese of Bacolod in Negros Occidental and in 1972, he established Christians for National Liberation, a faith-based underground revolutionary movement that supported the communist's armed struggle during the martial law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. He was arrested in 1973 along with Catholic nun Coni Ledesma, also a member of the revolutionary group. Both were released in 1974 and sought the Vatican's dispensation to leave religious life. They married the same year, and their marriage was solemnized by Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila, who is hailed for being a central figure in the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the iron-fisted Marcos regime. Jalandoni joined NDFP, and in 1977, he became the group's international representative. From 1989 to 2016, he served as the chief peace negotiator on behalf of the communists. The CPP has been infamously waging one of the world's longest insurgencies for nearly five decades, which claimed an estimated 40,000 lives in conflicts. Its armed wing, the National People's Army (NPA), is designated as a terrorist outfit by the Philippine government. Jalandoni is credited with several landmark peace deals between the government and the communists over the years. Progressive group, Bayan Muna, in its June 7 statement, said Jalandoni's death is 'a big loss to the quest for a just and lasting peace in our country.' The group's vice president and former parliamentarian, Carlos Isagani Zarate, hailed him for 'decades-long dedication to the pursuit of just and lasting peace.' 'From a wealthy landowning family in Negros Occidental to a Catholic priest and eventually becoming a revolutionary – Ka Louie's journey reflects his genuine conversion to the cause of the poor and marginalized. He literally gave up his inheritance to landless workers and dedicated his life to their liberation,' Zarate said. He continued to represent the NDFP for peace talks with the current government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr despite being in exile. In a statement, Pilgrims for Peace, an interfaith alliance promoting peace and harmony, paid tributes to Jalandoni, calling him 'a gentle warrior for just peace in the Philippines.' Among the alliance members are top Christian leaders including Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental. The state's main anti-insurgency body, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, said Jalandoni's efforts earned him respect despite differences of opinion. 'Even as we hold firm to truth and accountability, we acknowledge this deep loss for those who shared their lives with Jalandoni,' Ernesto Torres Jr., the task force's executive director, said in a statement on June
San Francisco Chronicle
08-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area reacts to first American pope: ‘We are being given a seat at the big boy table'
As the first American pope greeted the multitudes at St. Peter's Square Thursday, many Catholics and non-Catholics 10,000 miles away in the Bay Area celebrated the selection of the moderate if not liberal-leaning pontiff — who recently chastised Vice President J.D. Vance 's biblical knowledge in a tweet. Chicago native Robert Prevost, now christened Leo XIV, is the 267th pope, elected by the church's cardinals to lead the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, while holding significant cultural and political sway among the most powerful leaders. Leo XIV, who spent much of his career in Peru and has dual citizenship there, replaced Pope Francis, who broadened the church's views on LGBTQ issues, while also advocating for action on climate change, immigration and human rights. In Oakland, Keith Bachman, an Oakland native visiting his parents from Portland, decided to visit the Oakland Cathedral with his sister during their morning walk near Lake Merritt after hearing the news of a new pope. 'We hope that the movement for social justice that Francis started continues,' he said, adding he didn't know much about Prevost. 'We certainly need more people holding up fairness and justice.' The choice of an American pope, albeit one with a long missionary sojourn in Peru, was unexpected. The United States is predominantly Protestant, as opposed to the Catholic-majority countries that have produced more popes. Former President Barack Obama offered his sentiments via social media shortly after the announcement. 'Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,' he said. 'This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith.' In San Francisco, Father Michael Liliedahl, who is in residence at St. Stephens and director of campus ministry at San Francisco State, said he was indeed surprised by the choice. 'I never expected to have an American pope in my lifetime," he said, adding the fact that the new pope was born and raised in Chicago and educated at Villanova sends the message that the US counts, 'We are being given a seat at the big boy table. The church has always been a very European centered organization.' But Liliedahl also pointed out that Pope Leo the 14th had done most of his ministry in Peru. "You can tell his time in Peru and the small villages he worked in had a profound impact on him,' he said. 'At the very very beginning he talked about peace, bringing peace to the family, bringing peace to the world." Liliedahl noted the new pope's choice of the name Leo. 'Both Leo I and Leo XIII talked about the dignity of the human person,' he said. 'I think there is a great continuity from Francis who would stand up for the human person whether that person be a migrant, the refugee, the unborn, the death row inmate, the outcast, the poor." Leo XIV has not been afraid to stand up against those sitting in the highest seats of power. In February, he twice repudiated the views of Vice President Vance, a Catholic, who had argued that prioritizing one's own country is a just and natural 'ordo amoris,' or order of love. '[Y]ou love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world,' Vance said. 'JD Vance is wrong,' Prevost wrote in a Feb. 3 tweet. 'Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love.' Prevost then followed it up with another post on Feb.12, citing a letter from Pope Francis that also challenged Vance: 'Christian love,' the former pope wrote, 'is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups.' 'For many of us, the name Leo XIV happily brings to mind Leo XIII's Rerum novarum which was a blessing for working people,' she said. 'And it is heartening that His Holiness continued the blessing that Pope Francis gave on Easter Sunday: 'God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail.'
