If you read through the other thread on the subject you will understand why this is hard to do: https://www.cathinfo.com/the-sacred-catholic-liturgy-chant-prayers/bishop-williamson-in-the-hospital/
There was a death announcement followed by claims that this announcement was not true. At this point, there are a lot of conflicting claims and confusion. (sort of like the Crisis itself) My best guess is that he is still technically alive but will not be for long. We can only pray and wait for a credible confirmation.
Yes, that scenario could account for the discrepancies. At some point the doctors determine that he's effectively gone, but they can keep the organs functioning by some combination of drugs and mechanical artifices. So, in a sense, he has passed away, and in another he's still around. I'm personally ambivalent, theologically, about whether the artificial continuation of organ function allows the soul to remain attached to the body. So, the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to answer in the negative.
I'm also a little bit uneasy about all this talk about how they're trying to keep him alive "for a few days", so the various Resistance bishops can show up at his bedside. If in fact the answer to my question above is that the soul remains there even if the organs are kept alive artificially, are they not messing with Providence by artificially delaying His Excellency's departure into eternity? Had he not recieved Last Rites or something, then sure, if there's a possibility such action could permit the reception of Last Rites, it's worth a shot, but, since he has reportedly received Last Rites, then for what?, just so the other Resistance bishops can fly in for, what?, a final photo op with His Excellency? One last "weekend" at Bishop Williamson's?
Whatever they think they're accomplishing, it's not for His Excellency at this point, since 1) he's received Last Rites, and 2) he's unconscious so as not to benefit from any words of consolation they would offer, so are they forcing him to remain on life support just for their own benefit or consolation? That's just plain wrong. They should "man up" and do the right thing. If His Excellency has received Last Rites and there are no issues of that nature, they should just take him off life support.
So, let's say you conclude that, despite being unconscious, he may actually be able to hear those around him. Well, OK, but in that case, if his mind is functioning in there somewhere, isn't it also possible that he may be tempted to sin during that time? It's one or the other. If his mind is active enough to hear them, then it also presumably might be capable of one last temptation and one last grave sin. I can't recall which saint it was, but he asked his brother religious not to touch him during his final agony, lest he somehow be tempted to sin by some kind of tactile contact (and no, he wasn't ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ).
What exactly is going on here, keeping him alive artificially for "days" so the Resistance bishops can make their travel plans? As I said, I could see maybe an hour or two so his brother could be there and perhaps one priest who could give him a final absolution right when he's taken off the life support. But this?
And, if Bishop Williamson's soul is still there, are you really doing him any favors by delaying his entrance into eternity? I can see him being highly irritated by that. Many of the saints longed for the day they could finally see God, and couldn't wait for death, and welcomed it when it came. In various near-death experiences that people have reported (though they must be taken with a huge grain of salt), the people are generally very upset, even angry, at having to come back.
Now, if there's some hope of recovery, obviously that's a different story, but all the information does indicate that the doctors are convinced that there can be no recovery and that he'd die shortly after being taken off life support. When they made the same determination about my dad, he did pass away within 5 minutes of being taken off support. Now, if they were to take him off support and he doesn't pass away, then they would put him back on and change their prognosis for a recovery, but that would be true whether they did it now or a few days from now.
Topic: Please Pray for His Excellency Bishop Richard Williamson! (Read 90781 times)