Italian prelate pleads for Terri Schiavo's life

Vatican, Mar. 07 (CWNews.com) - With a deadline looming for the removal of food and water from a brain-damaged Florida woman, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has asked: "How can anyone who claims to speak of the promotion and protection of rights-- of human life-- remain silent?"

Cardinal Renato Martino (bio - news) observed, in a March 7 public statement, that if feeding tubes are removed from Terri Schiavo, "She will die a horrible and cruel death." With a court-ordered date for the removal of those tubes quickly approaching, the cardinal asked: "How then have we come to this point?"

The state of Florida has laws barring cruel treatment of household pet, Cardinal Martino observed. Yet Terri Schiavo is being denied the same protection of law. "She will have excessive suffering and pain inflicted upon her, which will lead to her cruel death," the Italian prelate said.

The statement by Cardinal Martino was the Italian prelate's second public plea for Terri Schiavo in less than a week.

E-mail from Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro, Human Life International, Rome Office

HIGHEST PRIORITY

Please find attached an important Statement from Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace defending the right to life Terri Schiavo.

This statement was issued today by the Cardinal and it was just sent to me by Msgr. James M. Reinert of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

In our unflagging struggle to defend the life of Terry Schiavo this an important and very encouraging document that should receive the most ample possible distribution.

Today that we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas (1962 calendar) I am imploring the Angelical Doctor to came to our assistance and protect the life of Terri Schiavo.

Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro CarÃ¡mbula
Human Life International
Rome Office

Statement of Cardinal Renato Martino,
President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

Vatican City

7 March 2005

The courts have ruled again and again. Unfortunately, the deadline for the removal of the tube delivering food and water to Terri Schiavo is quickly approaching. I am sorry to have to use the word "deadline" but this is the most accurate way to describe what will happen. Without the tube which is providing life-giving hydration and nutrition, Terri Schiavo will die. But it is not that simple. She will die a horrible and cruel death. She will not simply die, she will have death inflicted upon her over a number of terrible days even weeks. How can anyone who claims to speak of the promotion and protection of human rights-of human life- remain silent? Is this not a question of the right to life? I believe that I must speak out about this in the same way that I would speak of the protection of the unborn and just as I would concerning any injustice.

Has due process in this case been truly served? Have all options been employed? Where is love? Where is human compassion? No one would ever wish to witness the suffering of another, especially a loved one. And I am sure that no one could ever choose to witness suffering or a cruel death being inflicted upon another, especially one who is loved. How then have we come to this point?

If it is true that the process has been fair and that all legal avenues have been exhausted, how is it that this woman, who has done nothing wrong, will suffer a fate which society would never tolerate in the case of a convicted murderer or anyone else convicted of the most horrendous crimes? Again, it is an issue of human rights. It is an issue of the right to life, and as I stated earlier, no one can be the arbiter fo life except God himself!

The State of Florida has many laws on its books which protect animals, whether they be household pets, domesticated farm animals or animals destined for slaughter. (And please pardon me as I make this analogy. I am not comparing Terri to an animal. I only want to show the protection that the courts afford to animals in the State of Florida.) These laws prohibit[s] anyone from intentionally committing an act to any animal which results in cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering (828.12). It is also unlawful to keep an animal in a place while failing to supply a sufficient quantity of good and wholesome food and water(828.13).

Are these laws not enforced by the same courts, are these not the same laws established by lawmakers in order to protect other creatures of God?

However, in just a few days, [if her husband and the courts have their way, ]this is exactly what will happen to Terri. She will be completely deprived of water and food. She will have excessive suffering and pain inflicted upon her which will lead to her cruel death. Yet we have come to the point of asking whether due process been fully carried out and all options exhausted on behalf of Terri? This is unbelievable! Is it not sufficient enough to say that there are still questions that must be answered? We plead, we make the urgent appeal for the life of a helpless human being...a person with whom we all share our God given human dignity. How can anyone say that her best interests have been taken into consideration?

In his Message for the Eleventh World Day of the Sick (11 February 2003) His Holiness Pope John Paul II stated: â€œAnd while palliative treatment in the final stage of life can be encouraged, avoiding a â€œtreatment at all costsâ€ mentality, it will never be permissible to resort to actions or omissions which by their nature or in the intention of the person acting are designed to bring about death.

Palliative care, by its definition is the alleviation of suffering and relieving pain. In the last stage of life, it is this care for which we all must hope because, if the feeding tube is removed and Terri is forced to die this slow, terrible, painful death, we must ask ourselves, â€œAnd who will be next? Will this open the door for a state to decide whether this or that incapacitated person should die...not be allowed to die a dignified death but that they should have death inflicted upon them?

It must stop here and now. The courts, the judges and everyone involved with this must understand that all of the questions involved in the case of Terri Schiavo have not yet been answered. Society must realize that we can never inflict this sort of death on a human being, on any other creature, without each and every one of us and society as a whole suffering a terrible fate.

Seems to me this should be published in the St. Pete Times and Tampa Tribune....with a note attached to Bishop Lynch, the leader of the Catholic Church in Terri's diocese, this is the man who should be out there crying out the loudest against this travesty of justice, this court ordered execution, SLOW STYLE, being done without any consideration of the manner in which Terri has been isolated and neglected for TWELVE YEARS with no therapy!!!

How Michael Shiavo must have wanted her to die....to have denied her so much while she is alive! He tried to crush her spirit, most of us could not have handled the isolation she has endured but our Father stood in the gap.

NOTE TO BISHOP LYNCH.....your press release was PATHETIC. A great show of lack of compassion and energy for saving this life!

Get yourself to the Schindler's side and go see TERRI for yourself and GET BUSY!!!!! Who are you? A leader for the Catholic church or a Pharisee...bent on pleasing your diocese attorneys who have contributed mightily to Judge Greer's campaign coffers?

You have MUCH TO ANSWER FOR!

URGENT

Please spread this to everyone on and off of FR:

President of the Florida Senate Tom Lee says he is against HB 701. He needs to be apprised of coverup of crimes against Terri (reference CIG and AHCA case numbers under which the evidence is lodged). He also needs to be apprised of the fact that by his not supporting HB 701 he is saying that you don't need INFORMED CONSENT to off the most vulnerable and disabled by substituted hearsay wishes not their own. If they can't speak, etc. and have been prevented to regain the ability to speak or communicate then the conflicted party will be getting away with murder with the help of the State. Please urge Mr. Lee and his compatriots in the FL Senate to support and pass the companion senate bill to HB 0701. [NOTE: Companion Senate bill is SB 2128.]

Senate President Tom Lee
1-800-560-4403

Florida Senate
1-800-342-1827

Latest Update (later tonight) will be at:
http://tekgnosis.typepad.com

Updated Action / Contact list re: averting a March 18, 2005 1PM Death Sentence for Theresa Maria Schiavo, getting her out of the hands of those trying to murder her, getting her back on the road to her recovery through rehabilitation and therapy and most importantly under the guardianship and care of those who truly love her.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1357549/posts?page=4#4

P.S.

Please come to Capitol building in Tallahassee this Wednesday (03-09-05) by 8:30AM. If the bill dies that day this is all over.

Go to where Health Regulation Committee is meeting. There should be a board with that info. like the airport monitors. Go there.

Get up to speak. Say you support the bill and sit back down.

Let somebody else speak.

We will meet you there.

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