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."
Euthanasia is a sin and a violation of canon law, I believe a priest could be excommunicated for supporting it.
Where is the Church's moral analysis that says that Michael Schiavo was responsible for the death of Terri? In a canonical case, the local bishop is the final arbiter.
The fact is, the Church is not in a position to make this analysis, and would not rule negatively against MS, since he left the ultimate decision in the hands of Judge Greer.
In addition, there likely are few Canon Lawyers who would agree with Dr. Peters' interpretation of Canon 1090.
Well, now that they're married, can a divorce be far behind?
Wait--I forgot--Michael doesn't believe in divorce; he prefers murder as the way to unload a wife.
Jodi--run for your life!
Where is there evidence that the priest supported euthanasia?
You're right, he probably has no idea who Michael Schiavo is.
Yes and Judas left the ultimate decision up to the church leaders and ultimately Rome. Now does that make him any less responsible? Most churches look negatively against Judas. The RC church should have excommunicated Mikey long ago.
If there was serious reason to believe he was a murderer, then possibly they should hold up to investigate.
Of course, I'm mostly thinking of how she got into the hospital in the first place, which was highly suspicious. But most people haven't followed the details and don't know about that. Whether his treatment of her in the hospice amounts to murder is a disputable question.
I have to say that if I were a priest, my first reaction would be to refuse, and tell him to find another church if he could. But there would be no support from the bishop for such a refusal, which is awkward, too.
I don't have the canon law in front of me, but presumably it would include anyone indicted for murder until they had been cleared.
Thank you for that post. I needed to review that part of Canon Law regarding marriage.
Bishop Lynch is clearly in flagrant violation of Church law. All concerned Catholics should make their voices heard in this matter.
I am Catholic and I know the church certainly is not made up only of saints. Quite simply I would argue that allowing the marriage to take place in Church creates a scandal to the faithful.
He was not married to anyone else. His first wife is dead, thus he's free to marry anyone he wants, as long as his intended is free to marry in the Church as well.
We may not like it, but there it is. He is the one who will have to answer to God for his own actions.
Michael Schiavo was not Catholic; he was Lutheran.
Again, that is a decision that, according to Church law, is left up to the local bishop and not to well-meaning laymen.
I remember a chart of donations to Michael Schiavo's lawsuits and the Catholic Church of Terri's parish was on it. I'm sorry I cannot find the list now. It wasn't a large amount, but I was surprised to see it there.
A bigger scandal than they have already with priests getting prosecuted for sexually molesting same sex minors? Please.
Even still I'll say this much No Church should have hosted or officiated that wedding under the circumstances. He shows no remorse for his actions. He does not see his sin in his previous which were many and deliberate of a long period of time. He violated for many years the Marriage Covenant between him and Terri, and I could go on. His actions in the past few years brought offense to most Christian Churches.
If I was the company that is holding Jodi's life insurance policy, I would come off it now.
Actually I was referring to his cohabitation while Terri was still alive. I should have made that clear. I know he's a widower now and that he is free legally to marry, I just have trouble with the idea of the church sanctifying this marriage because of the divorce by the bride and the adultery by the couple. Maybe I don't understand the repentance process in the Catholic Church and I do not mean this as a wholesale indictment of the Catholic Church. I just don't see this wedding as valid as one entered into by a couple who has followed the Church's teachings regarding morality and marriage.
Correction... Murdering Widowers.
The divorce of the bride would depend on the reason she divorced. If her husband had cheated on her {adultery} then she is free from that Covenant and free to marry. Mikey is a different story as his her conduct with him after her divorce.
Can you believe this?
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