Posted on 01/23/2006 2:43:23 PM PST by madprof98
SAFETY HARBOUR, Florida, January 23, 2006 (LifeSiteNew.com) – Michael Schiavo, who had his disabled wife Terri killed last March by refusing her food and water, was re-married last Saturday in the Roman Catholic Church of Espiritu Santo in Florida.
Schiavo married Jodi Centonze. He had two children with her during the years he worked towards achieving Terri’s death.
Terri Schiavo was killed in March 2005, in spite of her family’s strenuous fight to prevent the removal of her feeding tube and water. Terri was left severely brain damaged after collapsing at age 26. Although medical authorities said she was in an irreversible “vegetative” state, her family maintained that she was able to interact with them, and they sought to have authority for her care transferred to them.
On Saturday, Terri Schiavo’s sister Suzanne Vitadamo spoke out against the Catholic bishops of Florida, saying Terri may not have been killed if the bishops would have supported the fight to protect her life.
Speaking at a “Stand Up for Life” rally in South Carolina, Ms. Vitadamo said if the Florida bishops had stepped forward and denounced what was taking place "there would have been such an enormous outcry of support from parishioners in our diocese and from Catholics around the world that my sister could very well be alive today."
Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Florida, outraged Catholics when he offered his only statement during the 13 days it took Terri to die from dehydration, encouraging her family to reconcile with Michael Schiavo in the name of “peace.”
The Catholic Church of Espiritu Santo, where Michael Schiavo’s second marriage took place, is in Bishop Lynch’s diocese of St. Petersburg.
While the Florida Bishops dismally failed to intervene and speak out in defense of Terri and of the value of all human life, the Vatican issued repeated condemnations of the decision to cause her death.
In four different appeals, Vatican officials sought protection for her life and spoke out against the inhumanity of withholding food and water.
“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,” wrote Cardinal Renato Martino. “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?”
Suzanne Vitadamo warned listeners at the rally about the implications of Terri’s death for all vulnerable people.
"Our society has shifted to a quality of life mentality and has lost sight of the value (and) sacredness of all human life," Vitadamo said. "We now as a nation are deciding when it is OK or not OK to kill those suffering from disabilities."
They are really insightful!
Is it possible that the sappy couple simply rented the cathedral and had some other denomination's pastor do the deed?
Michael Schiavo Kills Wife Then Marries Mistress In Catholic Church
Terri Schiavo's [estranged] husband, Michael, has married his long-time live-in mistress.
In a Catholic church.
This is extremely problematic for the obvious reason: namely, that the Church seems to be putting its blessing on the marriage of a man who killed his wife in order to marry his mistress.
There ought to be a law against that kind of thing.
And in fact, there is.
Canon law specifically provides an impediment to prevent exactly this thing. It's known as the impediment of crimen (Latin, "crime"). If you bring about the death of your spouse with a view to marrying another person and then you attempt marriage, the impediment of crimen makes that new marriage automatically invalid.
The Code of Canon Law provides the following:
Can. 1090 §1. Anyone who with a view to entering marriage with a certain person has brought about the death of that person’s spouse or of one’s own spouse invalidly attempts this marriage.
§2. Those who have brought about the death of a spouse by mutual physical or moral cooperation also invalidly attempt a marriage together.
Further, only the pope can dispense from the impediment of crimen.
Now, when Michael Schiavo and his long-time mistress (with whom he has had children while his wife was in the hospital) applied to be married in a Catholic church in Safety Harbor, Florida then either the pastor took steps to contact Pope Benedict and have the impediment of crimen dispensed--and B16 did that (fat chance!)--or the pastor authorized an invalid union under Church auspices between Michael Schiavo and his mistress, Jodi Centonze.
Either way, this must be clarified. If the pope dispensed from crimen in this case then, given the gravely scandalous nature of this union, the fact of the dispensation must become public or, to mitigate the grave scandal done by the invalid union, the competent ecclesiastical officials must make clear that the union was invalid and that the Church's law prohibits precisely this kind of thing.
You may be thinking, "Well, there's not a lot that could be done at this point, is there?"
And you'd be wrong. There is a canon law procedure for handling this situation.
CANONIST ED PETERS HAS THE STORY
This situation is simply so outrageous that action must be taken by the competent Church authorities.
First, if a dispensation from crimen was not granted by the pope (as is overwhelmingly likely) then the parties are in an invalid union and they need to be made aware of this fact.
Second, members of the general public who are scandalized (in the popular sense) by the spectacle of the Catholic Church putting its blessing on a kill-your-wife-to-marry-your-mistress marriage must be given the message that the Catholic Church really takes seriously the culture of life and will not put its blessing on this kind of murderous immorality.
Just imagine what many non-Catholics must be thinking at this very moment: "I don't see how the Catholic Church really believes in a culture of life if it's willing to marry people who have killed their spouses in order to marry their mistresses. All its talk about protecting human life is just talk. They don't really mean it. When push comes to shove, they're totally happy uniting wife-killers and their mistresses in the bonds of holy wedlock."
Third, members of the Catholic Church need to have a cause of scandal (in the technical sense) removed. As medicine is now able to dramatically prolong life, many more Catholics will find themselves in the same situation as Michael Schiavo: Their spouse will be unable to advance their own interests for medical reasons, they will have power of attorney for their spouse, they will meet someone who they would like to marry, and then they will be tempted to use that power of attorney to bring about the death of their spouse "with a view to entering marriage with a certain person."
In other words, the Church must clarify this situation in order to avoid more disabled spouses in hospitals getting euthanatized so that the non-disabled spouses can get married to someone they have their eye on.
Lives really are at stake here.
If the competent ecclesiastical officials (possibly involving those in Rome) do not clarify this situation then people will die.
Those wishing to contact relevant individuals to request a public clarification of the matter may contact:
Rev. Stephen Dambrauskas, JCL Promoter of Justice
Diocese of St. Petersburg 905 South Prospect Avenue
Clearwater, Florida 33756-4039
Phone: 727-446-2326 / 442-8884
Fax: 727-446-4287
E-Mail: tribsp@tampabay.rr.com
They may also contact:
His Excellency Pietro Sambi
Apostolic Nuncio
3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: (202) 333-7121
Fax: (202) 337-4036
Where is the Church's moral analysis that specifically states that Michael Schiavo was responsible for the death of Terri? Where is the specific application of Evangelium Vitae to THIS case?
You can't post it because it doesn't exist.
Canon lawyers are not authoritative. And many Canon lawyers would likely disagree with Dr. Peters.
Thank you, that was a very enlightening analysis. But of course, since it was the Diocese of St. Petersburg, all bets are off. I don't know why that man (Lynch) is still a bishop.
Code of Canon Law - The Marriage Sacrament: Specific Diriment Impediments
Can. 1090 §1. Anyone who with a view to entering marriage with a certain person has brought about the death of that person’s spouse or of one’s own spouse invalidly attempts this marriage.§2. Those who have brought about the death of a spouse by mutual physical or moral cooperation also invalidly attempt a marriage together.
There is a distinction to be observed and recognized when a 'widower' has participated in or caused directly the death of their spouse -if such is the case then any marriage attempted would be invalid regardless any confession and or ceremony...
No analysis is necessary. See my post# 107
Publicly it is without question and objectively known as fact that Michael legally pursued and overcame many hurdles to facilate Terri's murder. Over an extended period of time, against the wishes Terri's parents and in contravention of Church teaching Michael brought about the death of Terri by at a minimum mutual physical or moral cooperation.
Michael could have prevented procuring her death rather than faciltating it. Even the blind without analysis can see clearly this...
I apologize I assumed that you may have some background knowledge of the Catholic Church.
Through his encyclical, Evaneglium Vitae, Pope John Paul II declared "ex cathedra", that euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God.
Under Catholic Dogma, "No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the Law of God which is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church." Section 62
In Roman Catholic theology, the Latin phrase ex cathedra, literally meaning "from the throne", refers to a teaching by the pope that is considered to be infallible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_cathedra
Thus Mr. Schiavo committed an crimen when he sought to end his wife's life by judicial fiat, which is an illict act.
My concern here is not with Mr. and Mrs. Schiavo. God will judge their acts, as he will all ours. No, my concern is with the actions of the Church.
It seems as if the Bishop and Priest in St. Petersburg, may have violated Canon Law, by allowing them to marry. By violating Canon Law, the Priest and Bishop violated our rights and protections as Catholics.
Ultimately, however, the decision of the local bishop is authoritative in these matters.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/012206Wedding.html
Very strong review by local media.
Jodi is divorced
That is your opinion, and you are entitled to it. However, the local bishop is authoritative on these matters and was likely consulted on this particular case.
AP story in yesterday's paper, Polk County Ledger, had a sub-heading referring to him as Terri Schiavo's "widow."
Presuming Michael is the father of the children, he was 'outside Catholic teaching' as well. I guess they both needed to repent that one.
No doubt you were just as deferential in tone about the authority of local bishops when certain local bishops were telling the pro-abort politicians to keep their bloody hands off the communion wafers.
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.