By John-Henry Westen  VATICAN CITY, September 14, 2007 ( - In
most hospitals in North America, families of patients in
permanent vegetative state are asked if they wish their family
member to have their artificial feeding tube removed.  According
to a definitive ruling by the Vatican made public today, the
withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration from such
patients is immoral.   The ruling from the Vatican’s
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was made in response
to certain questions raised by the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops concerning artificial nutrition and hydration.
The replies were approved by Pope Benedict XVI during an
audience granted to Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of
the congregation.  "First question: Is the administration of
food and water (whether by natural or artificial means) to a
patient in a ‘vegetative state’ morally obligatory except when
they cannot be assimilated by the patient’s body or cannot be
administered to the patient without causing si