Will Pope Francis be a (Grand)Papa to Little Alfie Evans?

Little Alfie Evans deserves a chance to live!

Father of Alfie Evans meets with pope, pleads for asylum in Italy

Pope Francis: Every violation of the body is an 'outrage' to God

As the culture of death zooms in on the sickest members of our human family, we need voices to stand up and speak out. And so I was glad to see these stories about Pope Francis meeting with little Alfie Evans' dad and speaking clearly about the evil of abandoning the sickest and most helpless among us:

“Every offense or wound or violence against the body of our neighbor is an outrage to God the creator....In the flesh of these people we find the flesh of Christ....Mocked, slandered, humiliated, scourged, crucified, Jesus taught us love. A love which, in its resurrection, has shown itself as stronger than sin and death, and wants to redeem all those who experience in their own flesh the slavery of our times....we are called to have great respect and care for our bodies and that of others....too often arrogance against the weakest prevails and materialism suffocates the spirit." (Read more...)

At the height of the polio outbreak (1953)
many children needed the "iron lung" to breathe.

Little Alfie is not dying. He needs a respirator. So did actor Christopher Reed (Superman) following his polo accident. There were many more victims who suffered, not from polo accidents, but from polio. Most people have forgotten the devastating impact of the disease and all the children requiring iron lungs (early ventilation systems) to breathe for them.

A few survivors still use the machines today to breathe for them. One man in Dallas, Paul Alexander, a lawyer who contracted polio at age five, continues to require an iron lung today at 71. He spends most of his day in it. His inspiring story shows how people can overcome even the most difficult health situations despite the obstacles. How many would say that Paul Alexander's life wasn't worth living?

Doesn't little Alfie Evans deserve a chance?