Posted on 03/28/2005 6:43:57 AM PST by NYer
Terri Schiavo's husband is set to inflict what her grieving relatives charge is the final insult: insisting that her body be cremated against their religious wishes — and then buried in his own family's plot.
"They would like to have her body so they can have a Christian Mass and a Christian burial," said Brother Paul O'Donnell, the spiritual adviser to the deeply Roman Catholic family.
"They want their daughter. If they can't have her in life, they would hope he'd have compassion and give her in death."
But Michael Schiavo refused to budge on the extremely emotional issue as his tragic wife lay dying nine days after the courts sided with him and ordered her feeding tube removed.
His lawyer, George Felos, cited one court order earlier this month that granted him the right to cremate her, despite her anguished parents' and siblings' wishes.
"That's what the court has ordered," Felos said. "This was challenged prior to the removal of the feeding tube, and it will happen because that's what the court has ordered."
As with the feeding-tube removal, Mary and Bob Schindler had fought against their son-in-law in his bid to cremate their daughter's body once she dies.
They said they want to bury her in Florida instead of having her cremated and interred in the Schiavo family plot in Pennsylvania.
While O'Donnell appeared to keep his words measured over the simmering dispute, another family spokesman, Randall Terry, was more direct about his feelings for Michael Schiavo.
"He's a despicable swine for doing that," Terry said of Schiavo's cremation plans.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
When a man and a woman are married they become one flesh. They belong to each other. Terri's parents have no say whatsoever about this as long as Terri's husband is alive and married to her.
The parents need to give it a rest.
Where is NOW?
At their site, type in Schiavo-no results. Schindler-no results. Florida-nothing relating to Schiavo.
Where is NOW? NOWhere.
You can be put to death by probably abusive husband with the blessing of the courts if you're an abused Catholic women, and NOW won't make a peep.
But just try to tell the parents of a 16 year-old that she's considering an abortion, and all hell will break loose.
>>Makes you wonder, if he's got no ulterior motives, why won't he respect the parents' wishes? Gee, what could he be trying to hide?? Argh....<<
My wife scattered her first husbands ashes in a predetermined spot that only they were to know about. To this day it is a point of contention with her and his parents. She had no ulterior motives, but was honoring his AND HER wishes. They can just but the heck out.
Terri is no longer "theirs." She gave herself to him at the alter, and her dad "gave her away."
Whether people like it or not, this is the fact of Christian marriage.
I'd be tempted to agree with you if he didn't have another honey by whom he has fathered two kids and who he has called his fiancee. I still don't think he as guardian should have the right to carry out supposed oral right-to-die wishes with no written evidence, although he appears to under FL law, or Judge Greer's law.
They MAY be legally still married (at what point if any in FL does living together and having kids constitute common-law marriage?), but certainly aren't in substance. Because of the adultery, which began even as he was suing for money to treat Terri, they aren't one flesh any more than you and I are.
Isn't George Felos Greek Orthodox? The Pope and the Orthodox Rabbis have weighed in on this situation. Does anyone have a link to a statement from the Greek Orthodox Church, especially with regards to George Felos?
Morally, I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, as I have said in a previous post, what is moral is not necessarily legal, and what is legal is not necessarily moral.
I will also add, that based on the poligamy practiced in the old testament, this would be completely moral.
The key here is that once a female is married, under Christian precepts, she "belongs to" her husband as much as he belongs to her. And her parents are most definitely out of the decision making loop unless they can prove criminal behavior.
I have three adult daughters. Once they are "hitched" they are no longer mine. And love him or hate him, I will not presume to be able to "tell" their husband how to treat them. I may only offer advise which he has the right to accept or reject.
I begged Jeb Bush for this very thing in FAX and phone call this morning. Surely, he can't be this heartless that he wouldn't allow the Schindler's this one small wish. Surely not! Not only that, but if Terri is cremated, there goes all the evidence needed to prove abuse. Her crumpled up arms and wrists due to neglect and lack of proper care. Her broken bones as shown on bone scan.
Surely, Jeb Bush could save Terri's body and allow her parents to give her a proper burial. Isn't that THE VERY LEAST HE COULD DO?!!!!!! For God's sake!!!
This was the ONLY THING that made George Felos squirm a little bit during his big media event.
Good lord woman!
Of course he is a douchebag!
Terri's death aside, all the other stuff he has done would make him the poster child for "Needs to have his butt kicked daily".
BTW, I truly believe there will be no from-Texas-crawling in your future.
So his client is Catholic and in charge - will Catholic church allow a berial ceremony for a cremated body? In any case common law states that the wife is always buried with the husband's family. Nothing illegal is happening here nor will the courts (nor should they) take into account the parents' religous wishes.
So his client is Catholic and in charge - will Catholic church allow a burial ceremony for a cremated body? In any case common law states that the wife is always buried with the husband's family. Nothing illegal is happening here nor will the courts (nor should they) take into account the parents' religous wishes.
Or it could be spite. Some people are just plain mean.
Let your daughter marry an abuser, and then come back and tell us it's not your business.
With all this media attention? I don't know. I don't know Michael, I don't know the Schindlers. I'm sure there's enough blame and hard feelings to go around.
LOL! One of the truest statements I've ever read!
I'm shocked how many people have told me I have an agenda. (I didn't get the memo.)
Saundra, this is a family dispute. Do you want the government to come into your home and tell you what to do?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.