[madprof98]

I am quite sure our bishop did not read this piece before it was published. It was a "guest editorial," a reprint which came from something misnamed the Florida Catholic. I wanted to post it, but our Catholic paper's website is months behind, so it wasn't online. However, I will share the letter to the editor I wrote in response to it:

I was dismayed that you reprinted Janet Shelton's editorial, "Include Others in Terri Prayers," which originally appeared in The Florida Catholic. That newspaper has been tepid at best in its support for Church teachings against euthanasia, and Shelton's editorial is a classic example of the doublespeak the Culture of Death has enlisted in the current campaign to kill Terri Schaivo.

First of all, Shelton's argument is a red herring---change the subject to avoid arguing the point. The point at issue is Terri Schaivo's right to the ordinary means necessary to sustain her life, food and water. To step around that point, and Catholic teaching on it, Shelton reminds us of the many other people in the world whose circumstances in some respects parallel Terri's--the abused, the injured, even the hungry. All of these, she insinuates, somehow have a greater claim to life than Terri Schaivo, for "only God knows whether or not she wants to keep living in this world and not in heaven."

If this were not enough, Shelton directly attacks pro-lifers: "People who claim to support life have been known to kill and hurt others in their attempt to protect life they consider 'worthy' and those people spread fear that overrides any message of love they preach." What could she mean by "life they consider 'worthy'"? The lives of unborn children, I suppose, lives the Catholic Church teaches us are always and everywhere worthy of respect and protection--no quotes needed on "worthy."

Who are the alleged victims of these hateful pro-lifers? Here Shelton simply capitulates to the pro-death zealots. "Pray for the children," she insists, "who had to pass signs that called people murderers as they walked to and from school." For the children, eh? Sounds like a Planned Parenthood shill whining that passing kids may read some unpleasant descriptions of the work done inside their clinics.

I have been led to believe the archbishop must approve the content of the Georgia Bulletin. I'll bet a generous contribution to the Annual Fund that he never saw this piece!

I will wager my response never sees print.

[livius]

Great letter, madprof.

"Florida Catholic" is a flimsy little rag that is the joint publication of most of the Florida dioceses. I live in the Diocese of St. Augustine, which for some reason has its own publication, called "St. Augustine Catholic," a lavish, four-color, clay-paper magazine. I assume they must have gotten an endowment for it, although I thought it was content-free and a waste of paper until until about the last year and a half, when we got our new bishop.

Our previous bishop was sort of a wimp (although I will say we had no scandals in our diocese, unlike those of the rest of the state). But our new one is very pro-life, although there are many other things I don't like about him, such as the fact that he's very left-wing. However, you have to take what you can get, and being anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia outweigh some of his other failings.

Still, I have been very disturbed by the resounding silence of our Florida bishops. The only statement they made was an incoherent musing that ended with their telling everybody to make advance directives. (Less muss for Mother Church that way, presumably.)