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The below article is from Catholic writer Jimmy Aiken's blog site.

Michael Schiavo Kills Wife Then Marries Mistress In Catholic Church

Terri Schiavo's [estranged] husband, Michael, has married his long-time live-in mistress.

In a Catholic church.

This is extremely problematic for the obvious reason: namely, that the Church seems to be putting its blessing on the marriage of a man who killed his wife in order to marry his mistress.

There ought to be a law against that kind of thing.

And in fact, there is.

Canon law specifically provides an impediment to prevent exactly this thing. It's known as the impediment of crimen (Latin, "crime"). If you bring about the death of your spouse with a view to marrying another person and then you attempt marriage, the impediment of crimen makes that new marriage automatically invalid.

The Code of Canon Law provides the following:

Can. 1090 §1. Anyone who with a view to entering marriage with a certain person has brought about the death of that person’s spouse or of one’s own spouse invalidly attempts this marriage.

§2. Those who have brought about the death of a spouse by mutual physical or moral cooperation also invalidly attempt a marriage together.

Further, only the pope can dispense from the impediment of crimen.

Now, when Michael Schiavo and his long-time mistress (with whom he has had children while his wife was in the hospital) applied to be married in a Catholic church in Safety Harbor, Florida then either the pastor took steps to contact Pope Benedict and have the impediment of crimen dispensed--and B16 did that (fat chance!)--or the pastor authorized an invalid union under Church auspices between Michael Schiavo and his mistress, Jodi Centonze.

Either way, this must be clarified. If the pope dispensed from crimen in this case then, given the gravely scandalous nature of this union, the fact of the dispensation must become public or, to mitigate the grave scandal done by the invalid union, the competent ecclesiastical officials must make clear that the union was invalid and that the Church's law prohibits precisely this kind of thing.

You may be thinking, "Well, there's not a lot that could be done at this point, is there?"

And you'd be wrong. There is a canon law procedure for handling this situation.

CANONIST ED PETERS HAS THE STORY.

This situation is simply so outrageous that action must be taken by the competent Church authorities.

First, if a dispensation from crimen was not granted by the pope (as is overwhelmingly likely) then the parties are in an invalid union and they need to be made aware of this fact.

Second, members of the general public who are scandalized (in the popular sense) by the spectacle of the Catholic Church putting its blessing on a kill-your-wife-to-marry-your-mistress marriage must be given the message that the Catholic Church really takes seriously the culture of life and will not put its blessing on this kind of murderous immorality.

Just imagine what many non-Catholics must be thinking at this very moment: "I don't see how the Catholic Church really believes in a culture of life if it's willing to marry people who have killed their spouses in order to marry their mistresses. All its talk about protecting human life is just talk. They don't really mean it. When push comes to shove, they're totally happy uniting wife-killers and their mistresses in the bonds of holy wedlock."

Third, members of the Catholic Church need to have a cause of scandal (in the technical sense) removed. As medicine is now able to dramatically prolong life, many more Catholics will find themselves in the same situation as Michael Schiavo: Their spouse will be unable to advance their own interests for medical reasons, they will have power of attorney for their spouse, they will meet someone who they would like to marry, and then they will be tempted to use that power of attorney to bring about the death of their spouse "with a view to entering marriage with a certain person."

In other words, the Church must clarify this situation in order to avoid more disabled spouses in hospitals getting euthanatized so that the non-disabled spouses can get married to someone they have their eye on.

Lives really are at stake here.

If the competent ecclesiastical officials (possibly involving those in Rome) do not clarify this situation then people will die.

Those wishing to contact relevant individuals to request a public clarification of the matter may contact:

Rev. Stephen Dambrauskas, JCL Promoter of Justice Diocese of St. Petersburg 905 South Prospect Avenue Clearwater, Florida 33756-4039
Phone: 727-446-2326 / 442-8884
Fax: 727-446-4287
E-Mail: tribsp@tampabay.rr.com

They may also contact:
His Excellency Pietro Sambi
Apostolic Nuncio
3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: (202) 333-7121
Fax: (202) 337-4036

Source

508 posted on 01/24/2006 6:10:38 AM PST by amdgmary
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To: amdgmary
This is extremely problematic for the obvious reason: namely, that the Church seems to be putting its blessing on the marriage of a man who killed his wife in order to marry his mistress. There ought to be a law against that kind of thing.

Luckily for some of you folks, there isn't a law against libel.

509 posted on 01/24/2006 6:14:09 AM PST by steelcurtain
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To: NYer; 8mmMauser; TheSpottedOwl; Ohioan from Florida; Aliska

Ping to post #508 regarding Schiavo's marriage and the Catholic Church


510 posted on 01/24/2006 6:16:12 AM PST by amdgmary
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To: Salvation; NYer; narses; Coleus; amdgmary

Look what is happening in Florida! Please check out amdgmary's post #508. Maybe somebody can apply pressure.

8mm


514 posted on 01/24/2006 6:34:07 AM PST by 8mmMauser (Jezu, ufam Tobie!..Jesus I trust in Thee)
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To: amdgmary

Thanks. Although I care not what Michael and Jodi do privately, what they do publicly does concern me. The fact that they were married inside of a Catholic Church causes me concern as one of the faithful. I will ask for clarification, although I suspect that communicating to anyone within the St. Petersburg Diocese will be fruitless. However, I must give the Diocese a chance to explain.


515 posted on 01/24/2006 6:41:03 AM PST by Ohioan from Florida (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke)
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To: amdgmary; NYer; 8mmMauser; TheSpottedOwl; Ohioan from Florida; Aliska

Anybody have the contact info for Fr. Pavone. He might be willing to take this up.


525 posted on 01/24/2006 9:15:06 AM PST by BykrBayb (Impeach Judge Greer - In memory of Terri <strike>Schiavo</strike> Schindler - www.terrisfight.org)
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To: amdgmary

I read your post just this moment and agree, Rome should be contacted. (See my post above). Great minds think alike. This cannot be permitted to stand.


539 posted on 01/24/2006 1:57:16 PM PST by TAdams8591 (The first amendment does NOT protect vulgar and obscene speech.)
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To: amdgmary
"...the impediment of crimen makes that new marriage automatically invalid.

Interesting. I was unaware of this canon law.

You have to wonder what difference it makes to Michael and Jodi? It might spoil an expensive church wedding. It might remind Jodi that her white dress didn't symbolize quite as much purity as other brides manage. It might remind Michael that he promised God to stand by Terri "in sickness and in health" and "forsaking all others." Other than that, if the church invalidates their marriage, it seems merely a formality. They were already flouting God's law.

567 posted on 01/25/2006 3:57:52 AM PST by T'wit (Brokeback Mountain: the love that dare not yippie-kai-yay-kai-yea its name.)
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