Position of the American Academy of Neurology on certain aspects of the care and management of the persistent vegetative state patient / American Academy of Neurology -- Feeding tubes : sorting out the issues / Myles N. Sheehan -- Catholic teaching on prolonging life : setting the record straight / Michael R. Panicola -- A history of ordinary and extraordinary means / Donald E. Henke -- Must we preserve life? / Ronald Hamel and Michael Panicola -- The prolongation of life / Pope Pius XII -- Declaration on euthanasia / Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- The artificial prolongation of life / Pontifical Academy of Sciences -- On withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration / Texas bishops and the Texas Conference of Catholic Health Facilities -- Nutrition and hydration : moral and pastoral reflections / National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee for Pro-Life Activities -- Ethical and religious directives : introduction to Part V and Directives 57-58 / United States Conference of Catholic Bishops -- The PVS patient and the forgoing/withdrawing of medical nutrition and hydration / Thomas A. Shannon and James J. Walter -- Should nutrition and hydration be provided to permanently unconscious and other mentally disabled persons? / Germain Grisez -- End-of-life care revisited / Daniel P. Sulmasy -- Care for patients in a "permanent" vegetative state / Pope John Paul II -- John Paul II on the "vegetative state" / Richard M. Doerflinger -- Medically assisted nutrition and hydration : a contribution to the dialogue / Mark Repenshek and John Paul Slosar -- Assisted nutrition and hydration and the Catholic tradition / Thomas A. Shannon and James J. Walter -- Reflections on the papal allocution concerning care for persistent vegetative state patients / Kevin O'Rourke -- The Clarence Herbert case : was withdrawal of treatment justified? / John R. Connery -- Caring or starving? the case of Claire Conroy / Richard A. McCormick.