Questions and Answers

Q: Is it true that Pope John Paul II had his feeding tube removed before he died?

A: Pope John Paul II did not have his feeding tube removed prior to his death. This misconception gained notoriety when Time magazine reprinted an article written by an Italian doctor who, without ever seeing the pope or his medical records, claimed that he was euthanized. Pope John Paul II's personal physician, Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, denied the accusations on September 27, 2007, saying that the pope's "treatment was never interrupted."

More information is available from the following sources:

Catholic World News:  Vatican rebuts euthanasia charge on John Paul II

LifeSite: "Was John Paul II Euthanized?" - TIME Distorts Catholic Teaching to Give Credence to Outlandish Accusations