Florida police refuse to let dying comatose woman have holy communion (Terri Schiavo)

Yahoo News ^ | 10/20/2003 | AFP

[Prime Choice]

AMPA, United States (AFP) - Police refused to let a Catholic priest give a holy communion wafer to comatose woman whose feeding tube was removed last week, officials said.

Roman Catholic Monsignor Thaddeus Malanowski attempted on Saturday to give a bit of communion wafer to Terri Schiavo, 39, who has been in a coma since 1990.

Schiavo's feeding tube was removed October 15 after a long-running court battle between her parents and husband.

However a police officer told Malanowski that giving Schiavo the morsel would violate a doctor's order that nothing should be in her throat to eliminate the chance of choking.

The officer "verbally warned" Malanowski that he would have to physically restrain him if he attempted to give Schiavo the wafer, said Sgt. Gene LaPouttre, public information officer of the Pinellas Park Police Department, in town near Tampa, Florida where the woman is hospitalized.

The priest collaborated, LaPouttre said.

As vigil volunteers continued to carry placards and hold public prayer meetings outside of the hospital where Schiavo lies in coma on Monday, state politicians were to discuss a bill which would make it illegal to halt the use of feeding tubes to comatose patients.

The bill -- dubbed "Terri's Bill" -- was created in direct response to the Schiavo's case.

[mtbopfuyn]

Yoohoo, Yahoo! You're a bit late in your reporting. Guess it took a special session to wake you up. Now, let's see if you can get the whole story reported truthfully or continue the lies Terri is a vegetable.

[Cultural Jihad]

Police refused to let a Catholic priest give a holy communion wafer to comatose woman whose feeding tube was removed last week, officials said.

A hate crime committed under color of authority.

[Cultural Jihad]

The priest collaborated, LaPouttre said.

Apparently, following civilian law is always to be followed above following God's Law, unless the issue is symbolically hammering nuclear warheads on an Air Force base.

[CindyDawg]

ping

[CindyDawg]

ping

[GOPrincess]

"The priest collaborated, LaPouttre said."

I assume they mean "cooperated"?

Regardless, I am appalled beyond words that she has been denied Holy Communion, the more so as her death may be imminent.

[teletech]

To deny this woman Holy Communion just sickens me. What have we become? I pray God's will be done for Terri. She is and always was in His hands.

[dasboot]

I wonder, if Terri woke up and said she was hungry, if the cops would tell her, "sorry, a judge's order is a judges order?"

Prayer for Terri and her un-doers sent; for those detail officers, too. Many nights staring at the darkened ceiling above their beds coming.

[Barney Gumble]

I'm sure if she was Muslim and it was a Muslim tradition, the ACLU would be there up in arms... not mention NOW.

They go to court to let a woman wear a veil for her drivers license but they would help a woman get her last rights.