The father of terminally ill Alfie Evans met Pope Francis this morning as he continued his campaign to take his son to the Vatican-run Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome.
The parents of the 23-month-old boy, who is in Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool, have appealed to the Supreme Court for a second time to overrule a ruling that the hospital could remove his life support.
Doctors have told judges Alfie is suffering from a rare degenerative brain disease resulting in 'the almost total destruction of his brain' which means he is in a 'semi-vegetative state' and further treatment is futile.
However his father Tom Evans, 21, and mother Kate James, 20, insist recovery is possible and are engaged in a legal battle to take him to Italy for further treatment. But they have lost their case in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and their bids for an appeal to be heard were rejected by the Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.
The Court of Appeal on Monday upheld an earlier ruling that it was in Alfie's 'best interest' to have ventilation removed and be treated with palliative care. It added that Alfie's best interests, not his parents wishes, were the 'gold standard' which they must consider.
It also heavily criticised purported legal advice the parents had received which went against the court's ruling and led to Mr Evans trying to forcibly remove his son from Alder Hey.
The court heard that Pavel Stroilov of the Christian Legal Centre, who is not a lawyer, advised that it 'would be lawful for the father to remove Alfie from the hospital and take him to any other place he chose'.
The Court of Appeal's judgment said: 'This letter was misleading to the extent of giving the father false advice. We have been told that it had the most regrettable consequences in that it led to a confrontation in which Alfie was involved. The Police had to be called.'
The ruling added: 'The letter gave false advice because the previous decisions made by the courts in this case have directly addressed whether the parents have the right to decide what should happen to Alfie.'
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said the Court of Appeal's judgment was inaccurate in saying Stroilov knew the letter would be published. She added Stroilov had an undergraduate degree in law and was studying for his Legal Practice Course (LPC). He was acting as a caseworker for Mr Evans.
'Pavlov wrote the letter through the night in an emergency situation stating his view,' Williams told Christian Today. 'A letter from a case worker to a client is confidential by legal principle. Pavlov could not be responsible for what Tom (Evans) did with it.
'We are doing our best to save the life of a child when there are people who are willing to help him.'
The judgment also criticised the parents' barrister, Paul Diamond, of the Christian Legal Centre, who argued that Alfie's best interest was 'irrelevant' compared to his parents wishes.
'In any context, but specifically in the circumstances of this case, that is a startling proposition,' it said, adding the appeal's argument was 'misconceived'.
However the Supreme Court confirmed it had received an application to appeal the decision.
'They wish to challenge the decision that Alder Hey children's NHS foundation trust can withdraw artificial ventilation from their child,' it said on Tuesday.
'The application will be referred to the president of the supreme court, Lady Hale, and two other members of the court who will form the decision panel. The hospital and Alfie's legal guardian (the person who provides the independent voice of the child in court) will then be asked to provide their views. The court is aware of the urgency of this matter.'
On Sunday, Pope Francis called for prayers for Alfie saying he faced a 'delicate, very painful and complex' situation.
'We pray that every patient is always respected in his dignity and treated in a way that is appropriate to his condition, and with the agreement of family members, doctors and other health professionals, with great respect for life,' he said.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales offered prayers for Alfie and his parents but said the decisions had been taken with 'integrity' and the criticisms of Alder Hey hospital were 'unfounded'.
'We note the offer of the Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome to care for Alfie Evans. It is for that Hospital to present to the British Courts, where crucial decisions in conflicts of opinion have to be taken, the medical reasons for an exception to be made in this tragic case,' a statement on Wednesday read.
'With the Holy Father, we pray that, with love and realism, everything will be done to accompany Alfie and his parents in their deep suffering.'
