Oregon Bishop Speaks Out in the Case of Terri Schiavo

e3mil.com ^ | Wednesday, November 12, 2003 | Bishop Robert F. Vasa

[nickcarraway]

The Bishops Speak

Title: In the Matter of Terri Schiavo

Author: Bishop Robert F. Vasa

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2003

(Editor's Note: The following is a statement released by Bishop Robert F. Vasa in the Diocese of Baker, Oregon regarding the Catholic Church's position on Terri Schiavo's case.)

For Mary and Bob Schindler: ..."Cannot people see that Terri is their baby and that their love for her has a value and that their love tells the world that Terri has great worth? To treat her as if she were already dead is cruel and inhumane. To treat her as if she is dying is likewise ludicrous." Kindest Regards +RFV

The Catholic Church teaches that hydration and nutrition are simply water and food. These must always be provided as long as the food or water itself or the method of delivery is not unduly burdensome to the PATIENT. There does not appear to be any indication from Terri that the provision or the method of provision of food and water is burdensome to her.

The one 'burden', which so many seem so determined to lift from her, is that one thing that allows Terri to continue to be a living breathing human person, life itself. Life itself cannot be the burden from which we in the Catholic Church seek to deliver the faithful. This is the Assisted Suicide attitude.

Life is a grace and a blessing and yes the living of that life does entail some burdens, sometimes great burdens, but the solution can be neither murder nor suicide - these are offenses against life itself and the Lord who gives it.

Terri is alive. She is kept alive by the same things that keep me alive - Food, water, air. Her disability deprives her of the ability to ingest these things, it does not deprive her of the ability to digest them. She may well die in the future from an inability to digest food but it would be murder to cause her death by denying her the food she still has the ability to digest and which continues to provide for her a definite benefit - life itself.

Kindest regards,

Bishop Robert F. Vasa

Diocese of Baker

Box 5999

Baker, Oregon 97708

(541) 388-4004

[wisconsinconservative]

I wish one of our Florida bishops would say something like this.

Actually they have. Here's a link to the Diocese of St. Petersburg's website with the news releases.

Lukewarm support at best from the St Pete Diocese

[Askel5]

== Card. Abp. Mahony returns to the faith? Praise God, let that be before I wake.


It's that exemplary convert thing in action again.

My first thought: A cold day in hell.

But you remember (with thanksgiving) to pray that He lead all souls to Heaven, especially those *in most need* of His mercy.

[narses]

I pray that every day. I often think I am the sinner in most need and that helps me put the Cardinal Archbishop in perspective.

[pc93]

Oh, cool that's where I lived for 11 years.

[sisterjforteri]

Thank you, Bishop, for your comments! As many of you on here know, I have a disabled son who recently underwent some pretty extensive leg surgery late last month. You can see Andrew at: http://www.caringbridge.org/mn/andrewpirk . Anyway, I vividly remember attending one of Andy's classmates' funerals about 3 years ago. This poor little guy just passed away in his sleep. I remember the priest at the wake making his little sermon, and how offended I personally was when this idiot said, "Phillip had no place in this world. He couldn't pro-create, work, etc..." I am also of the Catholic faith, and I remember thinking what a hypocrit that priest was by saying something like that. There is a purpose for every life on this planet, in this universe. People of faith ( no matter what faith it is ) preach about unconditional love, etc... It's nice to know that some, like the Oregon Bishop, really do know what unconditional love is, and that they do respect life, regardless of what level of life it is. I know now-a-days, the Ten Commandments don't mean alot to everyone out there, but to those who they do mean something to, "Thou shalt not kill" is the one that always comes to mind for me personally, although I do honestly respect all of the commandments. We don't even hunt around here, folks! My son is doing fine, by the way - still having some pain, but for the most part, is recovering very nicely - thanks to all of your prayers, etc!!! While my son may not grow up to become the next President of the United States, he sure is making his contributions to the medical world, not to mention, he keeps a whole boat full of social workers, case workers, special ed teachers, therapists, etc... employed. That's what I mean about: all life has a purpose in this world. And, I also believe that all souls choose their assignments prior to coming to be born on this earth. We all eventually figure out what we are here for, or what we are here to do. It really scares me to think about what this world could end up to be like if everyone had such disregard for life like Mr. Schiavo has. It bothers me to think that he just pulled the plug on his parents, too.

[Aliska]

A heroic bishop of the Hitler era, Bishop Clemens von Galen, who spoke about the Hitler euthanasia program:

"It’s hard to imagine what Bishop Clemens von Galen thought as he mounted the podium to deliver his sermon in 1941. Would a bullet stop him before he could finish? Would the SS officers standing in the back finish him off after Mass? Would he be shot, or hacked to death like St. Thomas Beckett, who was beheaded in his own cathedral by the king’s thugs?

"Von Galen’s bravery and the Florida Bishops half-hearted response to Terri’s death sentence contrast each other completely. Viewed in the context of centuries of martyrs - Catholic men and women who willingly died rather than allow evil - the Florida Bishops are worse than cowards. They are a disgrace. It’s hard to imagine any Christian approaching Terri’s case with such coldness and lack of empathy.

"What does it really mean to be an American when a sitting judge can sentence an invalid to death by dehydration in a manner Adolph Hitler couldn’t even get away with? And what does it imply when there isn’t an outcry or von Galen-style protest from the clergy or the larger population? Don’t the senior citizens of Florida realize that they are next?!"

Link to Is Judge Greer Following Hitler's Lead? Where Have You Gone Clemens von Galen? Mercy Killing Comes of Age in America

[iowamomforfreedom]

They couldn't have a catholic marriage anyway, could they, if Jodi is divorced?

[Aliska]

if Jodi is divorced?

If she is divorced and Catholic, she could obtain an annulment, probably easily in Florida, allowing her to remarry. If she is Catholic and they succeed in killing Terri, it doesn't sound like they could marry in the Catholic church, unless some canon lawyer found a way around the restriction posted above.

I tried to find the thread where we were talking about that on the regular news section and can't come up with it. I thought someone posted Jodi was Catholic and wanted a Catholic wedding. I haven't found anything substantive to support that statement. If neither wants a catholic wedding, they could easily find someone non-Catholic to marry them.

[redhead]

"She may well die in the future from an inability to digest food but it would be murder to cause her death by denying her the food she still has the ability to digest and which continues to provide for her a definite benefit - life itself."

I just posted a new one to my blogspot on this very topic. Take a look...

[Aliska]

Could you please ping the Terri list and remind all that Oprah is going to talk about Terri on her Friday show.

[FR_addict]

"Phillip had no place in this world. He couldn't pro-create, work, etc..." I am also of the Catholic faith, and I remember thinking what a hypocrit that priest was by saying something like that.

This priest should not be a priest. What a terrible thing for him to say.

[Aliska]

Good job!

[redhead]

"Good job!"

:O)

[supercat]

She may well die in the future from an inability to digest food but it would be murder to cause her death by denying her the food she still has the ability to digest and which continues to provide for her a definite benefit - life itself.

Wow, such simple wisdom, so much truth in those words.

I also like someone's comment from another thread: Felos et al. aren't trying to starve/dehydrate Terri because she's dying, but because she isn't.

[dsc]

" It bothers me to think that he just pulled the plug on his parents, too."

He did what?

[pickyourpoison]

On Larry King's show, Ms stated that starvation was a painless way to go, and then hinted that his parents had died that way too.

[pegleg]

Lukewarm support at best from the St Pete Diocese.

Perhaps, however my point was they have not been silent. I'm no fan of Bishop Lynch. Both of my sons live in St. Petersburg so I know what a mess that Diocese is in. I hope and pray the situation will improve down there.

[windchime]

Bump!

[sisterjforteri]

I know. The little boy's mother especially had a very difficult time after his death for quite awhile. It bothered me to have to hear that comment and think just how much of our society values life in it's various forms and levels. If this person isn't fully functional, etc... then it's like, there's no place for you anymore around here. To me, that's very disturbing.

[sisterjforteri]

It's being reported that Michael Schiavo also had the feeding tubes of his own parents disconnected, too.