Statement of Catholic Media Coalition Responding to Florida Supreme Court Ruling

Catholic Media Coalition ^ | September 24, 2004 | Mary Ann Kreitzer

[amdgmary]

Statement of Catholic Media Coalition Responding to Florida Supreme Court Ruling that "Terri's Law" is Unconstitutional

September 24, 2004

The Catholic Media coalition denounces the Florida Supreme Court's decision released September 23 declaring "Terri's Law" unconstitutional. The court's action sets the stage to allow Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband, to remove his wife's feeding tube for the third time in order to kill her by dehydration/starvation. Since Terri is not dying this constitutes deliberate and pre-meditated murder.

Many questions surround Terri's 1990 collapse and subsequent treatment. They include evidence of possible spousal abuse, conflicts of interest arising from Michael Schiavo's long-term adulterous relationship with the mother of his two children, his failure to comply with state guardianship laws, etc.

These questions remain unanswered. Despite laws protecting the disabled, Terri's rights have been consistently denied by the Florida court system.

Yesterday's decision is one more example of a run-away judiciary facilitating the deliberate murder of the innocent. The Florida Supreme Court has declared Terri's Law unconstitutional because it supposedly violates the separation of powers. But for several generations activist judges have created new rights out of thin air usurping the legislature's role as lawmaker and using their judicial activism to justify further encroachments. Now the Florida Supreme Court wishes a court judgment to be final and infallible, not subject to any checks and balances from the other branches of government.

Classically understood, however, the role of the judiciary is to interpret the practical application of the legislature's intent. Literally millions of Americans, armed with pitchforks and torches, or today's orderly equivalent in emails, phone calls, and letters moved both the legislature and governor to agree that the court seriously misapplied existing law and intent. The true separation of powers, with its checks and balances, worked with and through "Terri's Law" to keep the judiciary within its proper bounds, stifling the illegitimate act of creating a new precedent and therefore a new right to kill the disabled. The people and the people's government never envisioned such judicial abuse. We have not amended our Constitution and clearly do not consent to the diminution of the enumerated right to life, a basic and pivotal protection. We will not tolerate judges so lost that they would starve an innocent woman to death.

Pope John Paul II has stated unequivocally that nutrition and hydration are ordinary care and may never be removed in order to bring about death. Terri Schiavo as a practicing Catholic would wish to comply with the teachings of her faith.

We call on Terri Schiavo's bishop, His Excellency Robert Lynch, the Florida Catholic Bishops, and all the bishops of the United States to denounce the court's failure to protect the religious, civil, and human rights of Terri Schiavo and demand Terri's protection under the first amendment of the Constitution.

We call on all the faithful to pray for Terri and her family. Legalizing the murder of the sick and helpless is an outgrowth and extension of the judicial tyranny illustrated by Roe v. Wade which allowed the murder of the unborn.

A civilized people must resist it or risk their own continued existence as a free nation.

[amdgmary]

ping

Catholic Media Coalition issued a press release on the Florida Supreme Court's decision on Terri's Law.

[MarkBsnr]

The culture of death won't rest until we can legally kill off undesireable people (who don't deserve it) while opposing death penalties for those who do.

While pretending to support the weak and downtrodden, they put forth efforts to legalize euthanasia, abortion, fetal tissue research, mercy killing, and other euphemisms that are tantamount to shooting an old dog or a horse with a broken leg or some pet that we just don't want anymore.

[Aquinasfan]

Yesterday's decision is one more example of a run-away judiciary facilitating the deliberate murder of the innocent.

The right words in plain language. How refreshing.

[don-o]

Literally millions of Americans, armed with pitchforks and torches, or today's orderly equivalent in emails, phone calls, and letters moved both the legislature and governor to agree that the court seriously misapplied existing law and intent.

It was Pat Buchanan, I believe who coined that (or brought it back.)

[don-o]

The Bishop needs to have priests read this at the beginning of Mass and direct them to sermonize on sanctity of life .

If not now, when?

If not over this, what?

[Dante3]

The Terri Schiavo case is a true horror story. Not only does a sadistic husband and his mistress want Terri dead, they want her to suffer. They have performed numerous cruel acts on her and her family. Her parents will be on Larry King Live on Monday. They desserve our support.

[GeekDejure]

Hail Terri...

Child of God...

We pray those judicial sinners...

Do not cause the hour of thy death...

Amen !!!

.

[pax_et_bonum]

"The Bishop needs to have priests read this at the beginning of Mass and direct them to sermonize on sanctity of life .

If not now, when?

If not over this, what?"

I agree, but I've not witnessed many homilies about the sanctity of life as it applies to abortion so I'm a little pessimistic about our bishops directing priests to comment on Terri's situation, either.

[NYer]

Thank you for posting this thread!

We call on all the faithful to pray for Terri and her family. Legalizing the murder of the sick and helpless is an outgrowth and extension of the judicial tyranny illustrated by Roe v. Wade which allowed the murder of the unborn.

It was a year ago that we all kept prayerful vigil for Terri and her family, when Michael Schiave had Terri's feeding tube removed. When Fr. Rob Johansen, a catholic priest and family friend, attempted to give Terri viaticum, he was physically ejected from her hospice room by one of Michael Schiavo's goons.

Our prayers for Terri last year were answered by the direct intervention of Governor Bush. Please pray that her bishop will now step forward and stop this man from murdering his wife.

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[NYer]

Rev. Robert Johansen is a catholic priest of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has been actively involved, for the past year, in the battle for Terri's life. He maintains a blogspot, where updates on the fight, are posted on a fairly regular basis.

You can read more about Fr. Johansen's persistence and determination, in this story, that includes a link to his blog. Excellent reading!

Killing Terri Schiavo

[floriduh voter]

I met him. What a fine person with a joyful spirit. Here's a Terri archive I want to post. Free Republic now has a search feature wherein they show the number of "views" in addition to number of posts.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?s=terri+schindler+schiavo&ok=Search&q=deep&m=all&o=time&SX=4155752ba5edf83c99e609569a05f196d69f39f0

Fregards, floriduh voter

[floriduh voter]

bookmarked. The founding fathers would be shocked and saddened that the FREEDOM OF RELIGION NO LONGER EXISTS IN IT'S ORIGINAL CONTEXT.

[Pegita]

Daily prayer for this wounded woman continues at 11 a.m. EDT.

[eagle mama]

There is something very, very wrong here. Since when has feeding someone (either by tube or by spoon) considered being kept alive by artificial means??? If this is the case are we not all subject to some arbitrary decision to be put to death by withholding nourishment. Terri does not appear to be in a persistent vegitative state to me, granted she may not have the cognitive abilities she once had, but I would like to know the answers to the following: Is her brain still being profused with blood, if so she is not brain dead, she does not meet the medical criteria for coma or persistent vegitative state http://www.sweetliberty.org/bulletins/terri/index.shtml

Her husband is supposedly such a devout Catholic? I beg to differ, if he is such a devout catholic he wouldn't have a women on the side and two children out of wedlock with this woman. Why has there been no investigation into the signs of horrendous abuse that Terri may have suffered. Why has there been no attempt at rehab as dictated by the medical settlement?

I am all for the right to die with dignity and certainly if the person is brain dead and can only survive with the assistance of respirators litterally forcing your lungs to breath and your heart to beat, should be allowed to pass, for they are not really alive anyway, technically the person has already died only the shell remains.

I am not a doctor, but I have been unfortunate enough to experience a loved one who was in a coma of which he would not likely awaken and if he did he would be a vegetable, the result of a brain abscess. The result was fluid on the brain resulting in bore holes to release the fluid compressing the brain, the brain was now dead (and the person which was my uncle was no longer with us all though his heart continued to beat due to artificial means) the brain was no longer receiving blood (profusion) and without blood profusion the brain dies.

None of this seems to be the case with Terri, unlike my uncle whose body simply lay in a hospital bed, Terri is able to set up in a chair, which means her brain is sending messages to her muscles to support her body in a sitting position. I contend that there is activity in her brain albeit her brain is damaged, she is still alive, starvation would be a cruel and painful death.

[amdgmary]

You're right - there is something tragically wrong with Terri's case. The State of Florida says that food and water are medical treatments. Terri's estranged husband, Michael Schiavo, isn't Catholic even though he was married to Terri in a Catholic Church. Michael used to make fun of Terri when she attended the Saturday evening or Sunday Mass. Michael's live-in girlfriend of many years, Jodi Centonze, is Catholic. The priest who visits Terri, Monsignoir Ted Malanowksi, says that she is alert and recogizes the family when they visit. When Monsignoir visits her, he sings to Terri in Polish. He said she enjoys listening to his voice. The mainstream media falsely tells the public that Terri is in a coma or in a vegetative state and that she isn't aware of her surroundings. Terri is very much aware of her surroundings. George Felos, attorney for Michael Schiavo, Felos told the Tampa Tribune (Sept. 24th edition) that Terri is in good health. If she's in good health, then why does Felos and Schiavo insist on killing her?

[eagle mama]

I saw the video before it was banned, and it was clear that Terri was responsive (not reflexive), her eye movements did not seem all that jerky from my observances. But even that does not tell the entire story, there are people who are walking and talking that have irregular eye movements due to some underlying condition, do we brand them with PVS and kill them too. I also read what one doctor for the husband stated; that he even considered spoon feeding a patient "medical assistance" I contend this is not a doctor. It just amazes me that our society has come to this, we allow murders to walk free on technicalities to roam and murder again, yet we rush to discontinue nourishment to the disabled because we don't want to be bothered with their imperfections.

I realize that there are cases in which a person has no hope of recovery and families just cannot bring themselves to accept this and therefore will not let go, I do not feel this is the case with Terri.

I would really like to know if any studies have been made to determine if Terri's brain is still being profused!!!

I have no doubt that her brain is receiving a rich supply of life sustaining blood because she does not exibit any outward signs of a brain dead person. Why has there not been an investigation into the allegations of abuse given the medical findings of fractures, broken bones and such. One doctor said that Terri had been worked over good. Why isn't someone demanding additional testing and further review of possible abuse? Why?

[Clintonfatigued]

I have a question: Was this decision by the Florida (so-called) Supreme Court unanimous? If Not, which judges supported this decision, and which judges opposed this decision?

I ask this because the Florida electorate has the option of voting to remove state Supreme Court judges in election years.

[tbritton]

I have a question: Was this decision by the Florida (so-called) Supreme Court unanimous? If Not, which judges supported this decision, and which judges opposed this decision?

The decision was unanimous.

I ask this because the Florida electorate has the option of voting to remove state Supreme Court judges in election years.

Not exactly. With our Florida Supreme Court and District Courts of Appeal judges, they stand for a "retention vote" during the first general election following a full year on the bench, and every six years thereafter. There are two Florida Supreme Court justices who are on the ballot this year in a 'retention' vote mode, Justices Cantero and Bell (who are the two Jeb Bush appointees).