Pope Declares Feeding Tube Removal Immoral

Associated Press ^ | 03/20/04 | The Pope

[Saundra Duffy]

Terri and her family are Catholic. Is the HINO?

[texgal]

Thanks you so much for the prayers. It will be hard not only for my sister but for myself and my daughter. Since my husband left me 5 years ago, we too depended on him. Sis is still grieving mightily and hardly able to function. She keeps thinking of all of the things she should have done that might have made a difference as to whether or not he could have survived the stroke. It's going to be a hard year for her.

[cyn]

Ping?

[phenn]

Nope. I think I read somewhere that he was raised Lutheren, but am not entirely certain on that. I don't think he was practicing as an adult. Terri would attend Mass with her sister after marrying. Michael had testified once that the Schindlers never went to church a day in their lives.

Perhaps this was from Halloween, then:

[phenn]

Tomorrow, Friday - March 26, 2004 - is the rescheduled hearing for the contempt of court motion against Michael Schiavo. The time is 9.30 am and the place is the Clearwater Courthouse on the corner of Fort Harrison and Court Street in Clearwater, Florida. If you are in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and would like to observe, this hearing is open to the public.

For those who are unable to be there, I will try to circulate an update immediately following.

The contempt of court issue rises from a 1996 Court Order that mandates Mr. Schiavo disclose any changes in Terri Schiavo's condition to her parents. As of this writing, Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler are not being given information about several items dealing with Terri's medical condition.

You can read the related motion on: http://zimp.org/documents/022404contempt.pdf
The 1996 Court Order is on: http://zimp.org/documents/1996%20Court%20Order.pdf

Please look for an update, tomorrow, on www.terrisfight.org.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Thanks, Phenn. I wish I could be there, but I've been praying today in preparation for tomorrow's battle. I'll be fasting tomorrow for anyone who wants to join me. I'm praying that Michael will at least start cooperating with the court orders at a minimum. I'll check on the website for updates. God bless you all!

[TaxRelief]

Any Bishop that came to the conclusion that removal of nutrition from a non-terminal patient was moral, can not have been speaking after prayerful consideration.

It amazes me how many believers make more decisions based on their own opinions, rather than as a result of prayer and understanding of what is morally correct.

[TaxRelief]

Ohioan,

Start your Hemlock Society investigations by looking into the money machine: Hospice.

Hospice makes money two ways--Medicare payments and as Estate beneficiaries. Medicare income is fixed per bed.

Estate beneficiary payments can only increase with an increase in the number of deaths per bed per year.

---

Continue your investigation with other groups that benefit with an increase in the number of deaths per year (mortuaries are probably not out to increase business that way, per se):

Community Foundations
Church Foundations
Hospice Foundations
Arts Foundations
Institutes of Higher Learning
Animal Rescue Groups
Families
AARP

In general, Arts groups and most Foundations in communities of younger people will benefit more from the improved earning abilities and ongoing donations than from their future estate donors.

However, in communities where there is a high concentration of Senior Citizens, the foundations and churches will only benefit from an increased death rate. Naturally, Hospice, Churches and Community Foundations in Florida depend on a constant income generated from a daily or weekly death flow.

Florida residents could protect themselves by making sure that all beneficiaries of their will and estate are in a part of the country where the donations are rare and meaningful.

I am willing to guess that attorneys in Florida have some sort of "secret reporting lists" detailing will-information from not yet deceased clients.

[phenn]

Today, in the sixth judicial circuit, Judge George Greer heard a Motion to show cause for Contempt of Court from the attorneys representing the immediate family of Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Terri's parents argue that they are not receiving adequate information as to Terri's medical condition. A 1996 court order mandated that Terri's husband/guardian, Michael Schiavo provide information in the event of a significant change in Terri's medical condition and that he inform any facility where Terri is confined that he has no objections to staff disclosing such details to her immediate family.

In February, Terri had suffered an unexplained bout of vomiting and her parents enquired of the medical staff as to its cause and what course of treatment was being taken. They were refused details and were told that this was under the instruction of Michael Schiavo. Since then, there have been other changes in Terri's condition for which the medical staff has not disclosed details.

Judge Greer declined to issue a ruling today and stated that he would do so within the next few days. He also suggested that the 1996 court order, which was issued by another judge, should be revisited in court so that the term 'significant change' could be determined.

This hearing was a rescheduling from a previous date in order to accommodate the schedule of attorney Deborah Bushnell, who represents Michael Schiavo. Though Ms. Bushnell was present, the argument was carried out, instead, by attorney Scott Swope with Ms. Bushnell's presence (according to her) to provide 'background information' only.

At this writing, Terri's family is still not receiving information regarding her medical condition.

You can read the related motion on: http://zimp.org/documents/022404contempt.pdf
The 1996 Court Order is on: http://zimp.org/documents/1996%20Court%20Order.pdf