Alfie Evans dies: ‘My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings’

From the BBC: 

Alfie Evans, the 23-month-old toddler at the centre of a High Court legal battle, has died, nearly a week after his life support was withdrawn.

The boy from Merseyside, who had a degenerative brain condition, died at 02:30 BST, his father Tom Evans said.

On Facebook he wrote: “My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings… absolutely heartbroken.”

Alfie’s parents lost all legal challenges to a court ruling allowing the hospital to withdraw ventilation.

The boy had his life support withdrawn on Monday after being in a semi-vegetative state for more than a year.

Read more. 

Pope Francis was an outspoken defender of Alfie, and even met with the boy’s parents: father:

“Moved by the prayers and immense solidarity shown little Alfie Evans, I renew my appeal that the suffering of his parents may be heard and that their desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted.”

Those were Pope Francis’ words in a renewed appeal for little Alfie in a Tweet on Monday evening.

At last week’s General Audience, the Holy Father had appealed for respect for Alfie’s life, reiterating that “the only author of life, from its beginning to its natural end, is God.”

You can watch the video of the Holy Father’s meeting with the father below.

Eternal resst grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him…