Posted on 03/11/2005 8:06:04 AM PST by NYer
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading Catholic bishop who speaks on pro-life issues for the nation's Catholic leaders joined forces with Catholic leaders in Florida urging that Terri Schiavo not be starved to death next week.
Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore, representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement Thursday calling for food and water to continue to be provided to Terri.
Cardinal Keeler says he prays "that those who hold power over Terri Schindler Schiavo's fate will see that she 'continues to receive nourishment, comfort and loving care.'"
He referred to comments from the Pope at a 2004 conference in Rome, where the pontiff said disabled patients like Terri and even those in a PVS state are entitled to "the right to basic health care (nutrition, hydration, cleanliness, warmth, etc.)."
The Pope previously said it was "morally obligatory" to provide food and water and called the withdrawal of it "euthanasia by omission."
"Deliberately to remove them in order to hasten a patient's death, however, would be a form of euthanasia, which is gravely wrong," Keeler said.
He indicated he sided with bishops in Florida who issued their own statement on February 28.
"The [Florida] bishops reiterated their plea that Terri Schindler Schiavo 'continue to receive all treatments and care that will be of benefit to her,'" Keeler said.
Last month, a leading Vatican official said starving Terri to death would be a mistake that would advance euthanasia in the United States.
Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, made the statement on Vatican radio.
"If Mr. Schiavo succeeds legally in causing the death of his wife, this not only would be tragic in itself, but would be a grave step toward the legal approval of euthanasia in the United States," Martino said.
A local judge has ruled that Terri's estranged husband Michael has the authority to starve her to death on March 18. Removing her feeding tube will begin a painful week-long starvation and dehydration process.
and where is Terri's own bishop, Bp Lynch, in all this?
The Pope previously said it was "morally obligatory" to provide food and water and called the withdrawal of it "euthanasia by omission."
"Deliberately to remove them in order to hasten a patient's death, however, would be a form of euthanasia, which is gravely wrong," Keeler said.
Bump!
I am so glad to see your bishops speaking out for life.
This entire case smells.
God Bless Cardinal Keeler!!!!!!!!!!
God bless the man for speaking out to protect a woman's life.
Terri ping! If anyone would like to be added to or removed from my Terri ping list, please let me know by FReepmail!
He's ignored the Vatican on this for the most part. He blames Terri's parents for not trying to mediate a solution with Michael before they got involved in the court. He doesn't realize that they were the only ones trying to work out a solution before the courts got involved. Shows how much he cares about the flock he's supposedly tending.
Actually, Bishop Lynch is worse than the stupid and hardhearted person you just described. Lynch knows the facts -- that Terri's husband is shacked up with another woman and has kids with her -- so it's not that he naively believes Terri's parents just have to try to get along with Michael Schiavo. Lynch issued a statement on Feb. 28, days AFTER the Florida Catholic Conference (i.e., many bishops) issued a statement saying Terri shouldn't be starved to death. Lynch's statement on Feb 28. was filled with distortions of fact and of Catholic teaching. Lynch referred to Michael Schiavo as "Michael", but didn't use the Schinlders' name or even refer to "Terri's parents". Bishop Lynch is a quisling who has done all he could to help Michael Schiavo kill Terri. I believe he is being blackmailed. (Lynch is known to be a homosexual and has settled at least one suit a man filed against him for sexual harassment. I'll bet there are skeletons in Lynch's closet and he is abetting the forces of darkness in this case to keep them from going public with his own peccadilloes.) Please get the word out: Bishop Robert Lynch is a QUISLING.
Moral Absolutes Ping.
These men get it. Good for them to speak out. Any person of any religion who doesn't get it, or doesn't speak out, is a traitor to God's truth.
If this poor woman is murdered, the future is very, very dark indeed. For the country - her future is in God's hands. Echoes of the Third Reich.
Let me know if anyone wants (back) on/off this pinglist.
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