Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Shiavo, the young woman who was dehydrated to death in Florida in 2005, has become a prominent opponent of euthanasia since that wrenching time for his family. In a recent Challenge magazine interview with Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Schindler revealed the shocking details of the support from many prominent Catholic clergy for the court ordered removal of food and hydration from Terri. Bobby is a practicing Catholic as was his sister.
Schindler stated that his sister "was not dying, not attached to any type of machinery and was only being sustained by food and water via a feeding tube." He noted that Catholic teaching does not allow a person "regardless of any advanced directive or even the sworn testimony of another person" to refuse food and water with the intent to cause their own death or that of another.
Still, Fr. Gerard Murphy of the Diocese of St. Petersburgh, Florida actually helped Judge Greer make the decision to dehydrate and starve Terri to death. Fr. Murphy did not consult with any members of Terri's family and did not even visit Terri. Murphy did however consult with Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, an assisted suicide/euthanasia activist, and testified on behalf of Michael Schiavo.
Bishop Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg refused to help the family stop the euthanasia death order and supported Father Murphy's seriously flawed position. The bishop eventually issued a confusing statement that was of no help to the situation and after that the Florida bishops supported Bishop Lynch's position.
Other prominent US clergy also made public statements condoning what was happening to Terri.
Schindler said Jesuit Father John Paris, professor at Boston College, commented on Pope John Paul II's statement mandating life sustaining treatment. Paris said in these situations, "I think the best thing to do is ignore it and it will go away. It's not an authoritative teaching statement. The problem here is that non-Catholics think when the Pope says 'Jump,' we all say, 'How high?'"
Father Kevin O'Rourke, ethics professor at the Loyola University of Chicago Medical School, told the Miami Herald that preserving Terri's life was "blasphemy." He also said, "For Christians, it is a blasphemy to keep people alive as if you were doing them a favor."
Father Richard McBrien, theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, told Bill O'Reilly of Fox News that, "This is not a question of euthanasia," directly contradicting the Vatican. "This is the removal of an 'extraordinary' means of sustaining life …"
Fortunately, there were many other priests and some bishops who were appalled by what was happening. The Vatican began issuing their own statements. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, said, "Food and hydration are never considered medicine. To remove them means euthanasia, it means killing, and so this woman was killed by hunger and starvation. Let's stop with the euphemisms - they killed her."
Then, on March 31, Cardinal (Renato) Martino issued the strongest statement yet from Rome, when he said, "Whoever stands idly by without trying to prevent the death of Terri Schindler-Schiavo becomes an accomplice to murder."
Terri was successfully murdered as she succumbed to the extended withholding of food and water on March 31, 2005.
See the complete interview as published in the November The Interim newspaper at http://www.theinterim.com/2007/nov/08schindler.html
December 17th, 2007 at 5:08 am
This is outrageous. And don't forget about the priest who married Michael Schiavo and his mistress in a Catholic Mass (perhaps the same one who testified on his behalf?).
December 17th, 2007 at 8:17 am
"All hope abandon-ye who enter here" says Dante as a soul enters Hell. How providential that Our Beloved Pope issues "Spe Salvi" during the flowering to the Culture of Death.
From an online essay I quote, "The simonists, who sell religion for money and turn the temple of God into a den of thieves, are thrust into holes, head downwards, with their feet protruding and tormented with flames. The arch-heretics are held in red-hot tombs, and tyrants in a stream of boiling blood, shot at by the centaurs whenever they attempt to rise. The traitors are immersed in a lake of ice with Satan, the arch-traitor and the embodiment of selfishness, malignity and turpitude. Their very tears turn to ice, symbol of utter hardness, and Satan is forever consuming in his three mouths the three arch-traitors, Judas, Brutus and Cassius. Milton represents Satan as the archangel who even in hell exalts himself and in pride exclaims, "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven," and the poet leaves the mind of the reader disturbed by a feeling of admiration for Lucifer’s untamed ambition and superhuman power. Dante’s Satan awakens disgust and horror, and the inscription over the entrance to hell makes the reader shudder: —
'Through me ye enter the abode of woe;
Through me to endless sorrow are brought;
Through me amid the souls accurst ye go.
* * * * * * *
All hope abandon—ye who enter here!'"
As long as the unfaithful priests named in the article draw breath, there is time to repent. I rejoice in the hope that they still may serve the Church and their spouse, Christ, faithfully.
December 17th, 2007 at 10:32 am
The only way they can serve the church and society is by publically recanting and repenting…that includes Micheal Schiavo.
I don't see how they can be saved otherwise.
But with God, all things are possible.
No doubt Terri is praying for all of them right now.
But By refusing a public recantation of what he did, Micheal Schiavo is refusing all grace.
madeline
December 17th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
God loves you .
I have known of this travesty of injustice and immorality about Florida Catholic authorities for some time. Bishop Lynch infuriated me while Terri Schiavo was yet alive. To me, he should have been deposed to the diocese of the Aleutians, Baffin Island and northern Greenland.
I cannot find it surprising that many Catholic leaders are closet ‘elitist secularists’. For many of every stripe, a little education combined with pride and ego is a very dangerous thing for their souls, and for the rest of us about our very lives.
Remember, I love you, too .
In our delighted glory in our Infant King,
Pristinus Sapienter
(wljewell @catholicexchange.com or … yahoo.com)
December 17th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
God, forgive us!
I recall also the "through the looking glass" autopsy report from the coroner which scandalously avoided making the rather obvious observation that Terri Schiavo died of dehydration. Under cause of death, it described the blunt force trauma from an automobile accident she had twelve years earlier. And the papers all pointed to it and said, "See? She had no quality of life! She was in a persistive vegatative state!"
This is worthy of our attention. Let's fast forward thirty years. I think that, for those of us now under the age of fifty or so, the likelihood that we will be euthanized by our own children is fairly high. The data in the Netherlands is pretty stunning — euthanasia account for over 11% of deaths in that country, and over 40% of them are done without the knowledge (and thereby without the consent) of the victim.
And our church leaders spend their time and treasure defending the Church on outrageous settlements over abusive clergy.
December 17th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Rome continues to try to hold it together to avoid schism. Their reason is that once schism is out in the open, the chances of repair and reconciliation are a real challenge.
The fallacy in their argument is that the schismatics don't give a hoot about them or the Church. The schism is already here. Compromise and diplomacy ONLY work when dealing with people as honorable as you. Diplomacy does not work with scoundrels like Bishop Lynch and his priest.
Find faithful priests and a faithful bishop and hold on tight. Don't settle for apathetic or watered down Catholicism either. Get the real thing or find another parish!
The smoke of Satan is evident in many bishop's offices.
December 17th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Here is an article (in the secular press, no less) on a good bishop.
There is hope.
December 17th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
These scandals and outrageous episodes are the result of the Irish mafia running the church in this country for a generation or so. Any time a group of buddies get into positions of authority and hierarchy you can predict these kinds of results. They make political decisions and cover for each other. Church teaching is secondary.
This is coming to an end as there's a greater and healthier mix in the clergy now and the trend is in that direction. We can help the correction process by supporting the parishes that are faithful as Jim said.
December 18th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
God loves you .
Yeah, PTR, read that article about Bishop Vasa of Oregon.
That is one significant ordinary. I have to admit that I am pleased that he drove cafe-cath types out of Church ministries - sort of counter-examples reflecting his demand for obedient orthodoxy.
One thing we do need is a Papal nuncio who is as demanding as this bishop - and Benny Sixteen. Remember, the Pope picks from nuncio lists of three candidates for the various national ordinaries. It could be that our nuncios have been as likely as some of our ordinaries to schmooze with just the plain wrong kinds of national leaders.
Remember, I love you, too .
In our delighted glory in our Infant King,
Pristinus Sapienter
(wljewell @catholicexchange.com or … yahoo.com)