Posted on 01/23/2006 7:12:44 AM PST by NYer
SAFETY HARBOR - Michael Schiavo and Jodi Centonze were married in a private ceremony at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church on Saturday.
"It was very emotional," said John Centonze, brother of the bride, just after the noon ceremony. "It's been a long time coming. A lot of things happened in between."
The wedding came a day after the couple applied for a Pinellas County marriage license and 10 months after the death of Schiavo's first wife, Terri.
Terri Schiavo died March 31, two weeks after her feeding tube was removed, and 15 years after a cardiac arrest that left her in what most doctors called a persistent vegetative state. Her death was a most public process, with the Florida Legislature, Congress, the courts, pundits and interest groups weighing in.
The wedding, in contrast, was private. Mindful of the media circus that had whirled about Terri Schiavo's hospice for weeks, along with throngs of protesters, the families kept the time and location of Saturday's ceremony a secret. Three St. Petersburg Times journalists arrived at the church, but were asked not to go in.
Schiavo wore a black tuxedo and Centonze wore a long, flowing, white wedding gown. Their two children attended. The bride and groom did not make any public comment.
"Except for the fact that the world knows their name, it was like any wedding you've ever been to," said Michael Hirsh, who attended, and who is helping Schiavo write a book titled Terri: The Truth.
Hirsh estimated about 80 people attended. The priest offered no homily. Afterward the wedding party went to a reception at East Lake Country Club.
"It was just a beautiful ceremony," Hirsh said. "Everyone there was just extremely happy for them."
Hirsh said, "There weren't a lot of dry eyes in the place."
Centonze agreed. "I had a couple tears," he said.
Schiavo and Jodi Centonze met in a dentist's office and began dating a few years later. Terri Schiavo already had suffered her accident, and already was living in a nursing home.
Schiavo referred to Jodi Centonze as his fiancee for more than five years, as the Terri Schiavo case worked its way through the court system, and the halls of the Florida Legislature and Congress.
Some of Schiavo's friends compared him during this time to a man whose wife had Alzheimer's disease; he still loved his wife but also wanted companionship. But in the superheated rhetoric of Terri Schiavo's last months, critics called him an adulterer because he had taken up with another woman while still married.
In 1990, cardiac arrest deprived Terri Schiavo of oxygen for five minutes. Doctors eventually diagnosed her as being in a persistent vegetative state, meaning she was not conscious of her surroundings.
However, Terri Schiavo's family sharply disagreed and consulted doctors who disputed or doubted the diagnosis of a persistent vegetative state. They hoped to keep her alive and give her extensive therapy.
An autopsy concluded that Terri Schiavo never would have recovered from the brain damage she suffered during her 1990 collapse. Doctors have never competely understood what brought on her initial cardiac arrest.
"I prefer being in the company of those you define as irrational and insane...."
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, including those you named; however, they are not like you and a variety of posters on this thread, who indeed are irrational about this subject matter. Fanatical would be the appropriate word. Those on your list are not fanatical; too many of those on these threads are. A difference with a distinction.
What else are we left to think? Hello! Is any one at the Vatican awake?
Isn't that an oxymoron or a contradiction in terms? Really. Can one have a wife and a fiancee at the same time?
As to the wedding ring, this creature was stupid enough to tell a TV audience that he took Terri's ring and had it made into one for himself. Hearing that, how could anyone believe he loved Terri and had her best interests at heart? That alone said volumes.
I can only wish that somehow, some way, justice will meet him straight in the eye during his life.
Why should anyone expect such a monumental, final and irreversible decision be put into writing? FOOLS, that's what they are.
No one of fair, rational and sound mind could have arrived at the opinion you have on this case. As Bill Crystal said it, wasn't even close.
As for being fanatical, you appear on the Terri threads, far more than I do.
Wow! This is new news to me. When did Kerry do a 180 degrees? I guess it was about the same time that Schiavo repented and did his penance.
With Schiavo, however, if he confessed to murder, a bit more than doing a penance might be required for absolution...like turning oneself into the authorities, going through a criminal trial, and being sentenced.
Aside from all that, can a Catholic priest give absolution to one who is not of that faith?
My first thought is: "Can a Catholic priest administer absolution to someone of another faith?"
Secondly, I believe that one who confesses to murder would be required to turn themselves into the authorities and confess the crime before a priest could forgive them.
I would appreciate a response from anyone who knows what requirements are necessary.
Plenty of people in the Vatican were making statements, including Pope John Paul, but they have limited authority over local bishops, and practically none over a parish priest.
Time wounds all heels. ;) Seriously, I have found that justice is usually served one way or another, over time. It's axiomatic. Look at the OJ "Dream Team"...
No church is perfect because it is made up of men; it is only the true Head of the Church (Christ) who will never commit a sin.
All men sin or err sometimes. Do I wish that many of the bishops would cut the cr*p and start acting like enforcers of canon law? You bet.
In any church, one can expect to have ministers or priests who do not always do the right thing. Some of them have no place in the ministry. On the other hand, for every priest or minister who has no place in the ministry there is a truly great man who is precisely the sort of person who shows the world what it is to be a man of God--see Father Miguel Pro, Father Damien, or Peter Marshall.
There are hypocrites in every field--church, business, community. One judges a church by its canon and dogma, and not by its ministers or the people in the pews.
Nope, they will hear the version of how he loved his 'first' wife sooooo much that he had to kill her for mercy.
Bluch
No, not according to the rules, but he could have converted. Sometimes they waive the RCIA process, doubt it is the case.
Secondly, I believe that one who confesses to murder would be required to turn themselves into the authorities and confess the crime before a priest could forgive them.
Moral law would take precedent over unjust civil law. In the case of a catholic going to confession, normally according to my understanding, that is a condition for absolution, turning one's self into the authorities, but depending on the circumstances, that isn't always required.
Since confession is so secret, we don't really know what is required, only the general guidelines in various documents, etc.
I don't know what others think, and I do think it is mean-spirited to gripe and moan about what somebody else has done, but it is public scandal and outrage.
The rules are only for people stupid enough to follow them (sarcasm). It gets too personal to go into some of it, but some people go to extraordinary lengths and great personal sacrifice to follow catholic rules. How do you think something like this makes them feel about their church leadership?
But we are being mean-spirited (there is some of that I'll admit) to object. You feel betrayed. Who was there for the Schindler's? Not any priest or bishop from their parish/diocese because it was too uncomfortable, too ugly, too controversial. One lone priest came and stood with them (some others made public statements on their behalf and did what they could, one from a far northern diocese).
At least they got a memorial service in their parish by a regular parish priest after it was too late to do anything for Terri.
Well, here's the thing. First, he's not going to be prosecuted for murder, so that's a moot point. Technically speaking, there is no crime here recognized by the state, no matter how bad it is what he did.
It may be that this marriage is not valid in the Church's eyes, for a reason someone pointed out on this thread after my post -- Schiavo killed his wife in order to marry this woman, which specifically invalidates a marriage under Canon Law (or so the poster claims -- I am not a Canon lawyer).
But generally speaking, marriage is considered a right for every human being by the Church -- if you ask for the Church to recognize your marriage, the priest has to give it you except in rare circumstances (which, admittedly, might exist here, but I don't know for sure), although he doesn't have to do it the way you want it -- ie big ceremony. The bare minimum is that the Church will recognize the marriage, because neither the priest nor the Church joins the two people together -- they join themselves to one another.
One can waive his right to marry, but no one can be flatly denied marriage solely on the basis of bad moral character. I think you'd have to be excommunicated or have some other canonical hurdle -- ie another marriage, for example, or vows of celibacy that had not been dispensed -- for the Church to refuse to recognize your marriage.
As for being fanatical, you appear on the Terri threads, far more than I do.
You've got to be joking. What a joke.
You were on the other thread about Michael's marriage to Jodi (the one that reached over 500 replies), long, long before I was. Of course you were spouting your signature,unreasonable and over-the-top remarks regarding Terri's case. I cannot begin to count the times I've seen you on these threads and was tempted to respond to one of your grossly exaggerated statements but did not. And you call reasoned comments by those who would debate with you irrational.
Go back and examine your own hysterical posts. You are obsessed and fanatical about Terri's case. It's okay for you, but not your opponents. How liberal-like.
Go back and examine your own hysterical posts. You are obsessed and fanatical about Terri's case. It's okay for you, but not your opponents. How liberal-like.
Can't you come up with some original words of your own, rather than parrot back my use of fanatical as applied to the likes of you? How boring you are in your lack of originality. Go argue with yourself from this point on. You are a waste of my time.
I wish I had an nickel for every time I've seen people referred to as fanatics on this website. Far from original on YOUR part.
Furthermore, You are every bit as obsessed with Terri's case as you claim your opponents are, and are a regular on the Terri threads. Your posts are hysterical and over-the-top, go back and read them.
What's more you have many nuts on your side of this debate, headed up by the NUT of all NUTS, George Felos (Michael's attorney, the kooky man's kook) who as a passenger on an airplane can cause them to take a dive with the power of his own mind while he hears the encouraging voice of God almighty, LOL!
Then there's the five bullying and thuggy Schiavo brothers all close to 6 foot six, two of whom locally were banned from a talk radio station for making physical threats against talk show host Glenn Beck and threats and lies against those siding with the Schindlers.
And you and people like you DARE to put Terri' loving parents, siblings, and supporters on the same level as the lowlife's above?
Get a grip flaglady. You've been totally off base and in La-la-land about this case since day one.
"...beats Charleton Heston playing Moses..."
Don't let me break up a hot debate, but the above sounds like hyperbole to me. Oh well, back to the debate. LOL
I understand your desire to get away from the comparison.
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