Recently in Terri Schiavo Category

My Archbishop, Wilton Gregory (Atlanta), issued the following statement regarding the death of Terri Schiavo – it was included in the Sunday bulletin handed out at my parish and I thought it particularly underscored the realities of the situation:

In his 1995 encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, “On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life,” Pope John Paul II wrote that it is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and develop.” He said: “A society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life if devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or fragile.”

One of the most fundamental and inherent human rights is the right to life, a right that must be protected above all others. Because it is an inherent right, it is not granted by and does not belong to society, or the courts, or the legislature. To deny a handicapped individual, who is unable to speak for herself, food and water, the very necessities of life, and allow her to starve to death, shows the moral confusion and tragedy of the culture of death of which our Holy Father speaks.

The removal of her feeding tube resulted in Terri’s death. This has ramifications for all Americans, especially those who are the most vulnerable among us, and puts our entire society further along the slippery slope of relativism.

Ms. Schiavo’s case is not simply an issue of one person’s life or death. It is symptomatic of a broader culture of death, rather than a culture of life, that has crept into our society, evidenced by the evil of abortion and so-called “right to die” legislation.

Christ’s way is that of love, service, trust and hope in the Lord. It is based on the belief that there is a God, a God who loves us and who forms the basis for all moral values. Once that absolute is lost, all values become relative. Once values become relative they are at the mercy of the individual, or societal, whim. Ms. Schiavo’s death was not in vain if it serves to re-awaken Americans to this basic truth. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace and mercy of God, who loves all His children.

Well said.

God bless,
Jay

And may God forgive us for what we have become.

Terri Schiavo died this morning after suffering through the longest public execution I'm aware of. Please pray for her soul.

God bless,
Jay

A federal appeals court has agreed to reconsider an appeal made by Terri Schiavo's parents, the Schindlers. This is actually a surprising move by the court - most doubted they would move in this direction. It isn't a win for the Schindler's yet, but it is a move in the right direction and opens the door to a possible miracle in this case.

Please continue to pray for Terri Schiavo as well as the other participants in this case, including Michael.

God bless,
Jay

There’s been a lot of “spin” around the condition that Terri Schiavo is actually in and whether she could be rehabilitated. I think Fox News clarified matters when Sean Hannity interviewed a doctor who was nominated for a Nobel Prize in 1999 for his work on patients like Terri Schiavo. Take a look:

HANNITY: You were nominated for a Nobel Prize (search) in medicine?
HAMMESFAHR: Yes.
HANNITY: In 1999? For your work...
HAMMESFAHR: ... in patients like Terri. For brain injury and stroke patients. We discovered how you get these people better, and we did it for 10 years with Medicare. We got evaluated by the state of Florida and we first discovered a technique that works in people like Terri.
HANNITY: This is what I want to talk about. You have spent, unlike Robert Wexler, who was commenting on medical issues this weekend, you spent how many hours with Terri?
HAMMESFAHR: I spent about 10 hours with Terri across three separate occasions, and I spent a lot of time with videotapes, the medical record which is in boxes and boxes and boxes. for about a year. And of course, you know, I spending time interviewing the family and people who actually have seen her. So I've spent a lot of time with her.
HANNITY: Do you believe she is aware, conscious and responsive?
HAMMESFAHR: Terri is completely aware and conscious and responsive. She is like a child with cerebral palsy. We have kids in the Pinellas County school system every day that are much worse than her, that we're educating.
HANNITY: Doctor, wait a minute. I've got to get this straight here.
You were nominated to get a Nobel Peace Prize in this very work. Are you saying that this woman could be rehabilitated?
HAMMESFAHR: Absolutely.
HANNITY: Could she talk one day?
HAMMESFAHR: Yes.
HANNITY: Then how is it possible we're in this position if you have examined her, you were up for a Nobel Prize. I -- this is mind boggling to me.
HAMMESFAHR: I don't understand it myself. You know, this is a -- this is a case of a terrible error that's happened and it's a grievous case.
You know, what struck me about Congress, in the last couple of days is that there we have physicians who examined the videotapes, examined the same evidence I had, examined my records, my evaluation of her, stepped forward and said, this is not a person in a coma. This is not a person in PVS (a persistent vegetative state). We have to stop this.
HANNITY: All right.
HAMMESFAHR: It just goes to show, you do not want your medical care delivered by a judge.
HANNITY: Well, this is what I want to understand. This is your area of expertise that got you nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in medicine, the Nobel Prize.
And you're saying after a thorough examination of 10 hours total with her, and an examination of records and an examination of records and an examination of tapes regarding her, that she could be rehabilitated. What about all of these other people that have said that that's not possible, how can we have disparaging?
HANNITY: It's not all of these other people. There's four people on the other side, who say she can't be rehabilitated. All were paid individuals. Three by George Felos...
HANNITY: ...and you're not paid?
HAMMESFAHR: I was not paid. Now, if you look at the people who are on Terri's side and stepped forward, at last count, two weeks ago, 33 M.D.s, brain injury specialists from around the country, places like UCLA, Tulane, LSU, Boston University --Thirty-three physicians has stepped forward to say that this person can be rehabilitated. She's not in PVS, not in a coma. And the -- Judge Greer ignored this.

This is scary, folks. A judge has ordered this woman starved and ignored some of the evidence. I’ve been thinking about the oddities of this case and I thought I would point out a few:

• It would be “cruel and unusual punishment” to starve a mass murderer to death, but this innocent woman gets exactly that.
  
• Kevorkian is sitting in prison right now for helping people commit suicide, but Michael Schiavo has somehow gotten a court to order his wife be murdered (convenient, since he’s been living with another woman for years).
  
• It’s ironic that Michael Schiavo didn’t “remember” his wife’s desire to die until after he was awarded the $1.3 million settlement and after he met his new “fiance” (can you have a fiancé if you’re already married and not Mormon?)
  
• The Democratic Party just can’t help being Democrats. It seems like they get every single moral issue exactly wrong. How can that be possible? Even a blind dog finds water every now and then.
  
• Her husband was awarded over $1 million in order to help rehabilitate her; he’s never given her any of the rehabilitation treatments, but decided she needs to die. And a judge agreed.
  
• Judges now have the power to starve you to death, even if you (a) aren’t dying, (b) are able to be rehabilitated according to experts, and (c) are no longer the only person your spouse pretends to be married to. What we have here is a theocracy, one that adheres to the Culture of Death and the sacraments of abortion, contraception, divorce, homosexuality and euthanasia. What’s next?
  
• A contract in Florida isn’t valid for anything worth more than $500. But a couple of people with suspicious motives can testify that they overheard you say you wanted to die and you’re toast. I’m thinking the elderly should think twice about retirement destinations.
  

What a moral disaster! Furthermore, this signifies the depths to which our morality has fallen. May God forgive us.

God bless,
Jay

First, a quick update: a Federal Judge will rule at 3:00 PM today whether to reinsert Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. Let's pray that he does.

Another question that you may be able to help with: Why should a spouse ever be able to starve the other spouse to death? I understand the argument where a patient can be taken off of life support (brain dead, etc). But this isn't that type of case. Mr. Schiavo has been given permission by judges to starve his wife to death because she has been disable. To make matters worse, her parents are simply asking that he turn her over to them and not worry about it. But no, Mr. Schiavo is determined to kill his wife - I just don't understand why that is ever legal.

Any person would die without food or water (and it's a horrible way to die), so where did Terri Schiavo lose her Constitutional right to life. And what does this say about those disabled people who need help on a daily basis. In other words, if we can simply kill another by starving them to death, where do we draw the line? What if Terri Schiavo could swallow and thus only needed someone to help feed her by mouth, rather than a tube. Would she still deserve to die? This is terribly slippery slope.

And for the record, I think it's important to note what the newscasters are glossing over:

• 1st Michael Schiavo sued and won over a million dollars so that he could give her the rehabilitation she needed. In the case, doctors testified that this would help her.
  
• Next, Michael Schiavo decided (after getting this money) that she really didn't need the rehabilitation, so she has never gotten it (just a tiny bit at first from my understanding of the case).
  
• Then a few years later, Michael Schiavo meets his current live in "fiance" with whom he has two children
  
• Seven years after the accident that left Terri disabled (and after he had proposed to his new fiance), Michael Schiavo and his brother remember conveniently that Terri wanted to die if left in this condition. There is no other evidence other than the oral testimony of these two and Michael's sister-in-law that Terri wanted to be starved to death.
  
• Michael begins a long court process to kill his wife. When he begins there is a significant amount of money left from the settlement that will become Michael's only if Terri dies. I have seen nothing that explains how much of that money is left, but I'm betting little.
  
• Terri's parents - the Schindler's - repeatedly ask that Michael simply turn Terri over to them for care and go on with his new life. He refuses and they are the ones fighting for Terri's life.
  

Last night someone made the comment that according to Florida law, a contract for over $500 was only valid if in writing, but this husband can starve his wife to death on nothing but hearsay. And Governor Bush also pointed out that if Terri had committed a terrible crime he could pardon her, but the courts won't allow him to save an innocent woman.

Personally, it's very sad to me that our culture had declined to this point. Much prayer is needed.

God bless,
Jay

At 1:00 PM EST today our country will begin starving a disabled woman to death. The sheer statement is horrifying in its implications, but it is unfortunately true. Today, Congressional subpoenas were issued by the US House in a last-ditch effort to delay the murder. And Terri's parents have another legal appeal in the Florida court system this morning, but as their attorney states, "everything is a longshot" at this point.

I do ask that we all pray today for Terri, for Michael, and for our country. A week before the crucifixion of Christ, we have another murder of an innocent woman, her only crime is being unable to speak. Consider fasting with Terri in some small way, perhaps give up your favorite foods or eat less than you would prefer. And pray; all things are possible with God.

God bless,
Jay

UPDATE AT 1:22 PM EST: A Judge has delayed the removal of Terri's food and water. The US Congress subpoenaed Terri in order to give them time to act and this requires that she be protected at least until next Friday.

I'm actually just getting back from a trip, so I haven't been able to point this story out. But now I'm back.

Apparently, Michael Schiavo was offer $1 million dollars to turn Terri over to her parents. The person offering the money believes that stell cell research (he didn't indicate whether it would be embryonic or not) could improve Terri's condition. Michael has simply decided to turn down the money and continue his quest to kill his wife.

Isn't this the oddest story? For all practical purposes, Michael has another wife and has had one for quite some time now. If there is a chance Terri could recover, why would Michael say no?. Clearly he can't make the argument that Terri wanted to die - she would have wanted to be healed more. This is another piece in the puzzle that continously points to one motive in this case. From the beginning it was suggested that Michael had something to do with the reason Terri is in her current state. In my mind, this would be the only reason he would continually push for her death: to keep her quiet.

Also, it irks me that news organizations continually suggest that Terri is being kept alive "artificially" or that "life support" is being used. If we accept this definition, then we are all on life support and are artificially keeping ourselves alive. Why? Terri is simply getting food and water. Period. She isn't on life support at all - she's getting food and water through a tube to prevent her from choking. Food and water is not artifical life support.

In the final review, this is a problem of hypocrisy. The hypocrisy of a man trying to kill his wife and acting as if it were the "right" thing to do. The hypocrisy of a judge expected to serve justly who refuses to hear appeals he doesn't agree with. The hypocrisy of a nation that offers the "right to life" to everyone who (a) has been born, (b) doesn't have a disability, and (c) can function in a utilitarian manner that we equate with value. And it's also the hypocrisy of all of us, who pretend to love life and sit by while another person's is taken.

May God forgive us all.

God bless,
Jay

I have not blogged about this as much as I should have, but I'll work on keeping it more updated on our website. The latest news on Terri is that Judge Greer will now deny any legal attempt to save Terri's life. He apparently has a God-complex and will only hear motions that accept his judgment that Terri does not deserve life.

I'm one of those who believes there are crossroads in certains points of human history. At those crossroads a culture can effectively change the course of history in one way or another. One crossroad was in 1973 (the year I was born ironically enough), when the Supreme Court decided that murdering the unborn was a "right" that all women should have (even if the fathers didn't agree). I believe we are now at another crossroad in the battle for life and, really, in the battle for our culture. Will we allow a judge to condemn a woman to death by starvation without any outcry? Will good men sit silently by while evil men distort reality and destroy our culture?

I know many have decided to "fast" with Terri for her life. At this point it seems on March 15th that Terri Schiavo's murder by the courts will begin. I encourage all of us to pray, to speak up in Terri's defense (to everyone we know), to pray, to fast with Terri for God's intervention, and to pray. This is an innocent woman condemned to die by a tyrant wearing judicial robes. Over the past 30 years we have seen this pattern of behavior again and again - it must be stopped now. You can also give money to help the fight.

Please, do not allow Terri to go gently into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying . . . and rage, rage against a definition of "human" that doesn't give human beings the diginity they deserve and the right to life they are guaranteed by our Constitution.

God bless,
Jay

The darkness is now descending on a human life deemed too worthless to live. At 1:00 PM Michael Schiavo will begin starving the woman he once committed his life to in sickness and in health - apparently he’s decided her mysterious sickness isn’t included.

What really bothers me about this is that Terri’s parents have been trying for years to get Michael to simply give Terri to them. No strings attached. No commitment from Michael. But he is determined to kill his wife for an inexplicable reason. The courts have basically determined that Michael has the ability to starve his wife to death, because she is physically disabled. This is similar to the court decision that allowed the murder of unborn babies, since we aren’t actually human (apparently) until we are born.

I think these two issues, abortion and euthanasia, are inextricably tied together in an unholy net that defined what the Pope means when he says, “Culture of Death.” Our culture misunderstands the basic philosophical argument that Life is valuable in itself. Without this understanding our children, our elders, and those weak or disabled among us are in a very real danger. I recommend everyone look into the Netherlands where doctors can now kill sick children without their parents permission. Do you think it can’t happen here? Take another look at the Terri Schiavo case.

And pray for her. Stop right now and pray, God knows she needs it.

God bless,
Jay

UPDATE: For a more complete history, see Operation Rescue's Information. They also include several ways to help.

I think the best way to explain our culture is simply saying, “We misunderstand the value of Life.” This year we are getting front-row seats to the rise of a new way of valuing our lives: our productivity.

In the past, life was valued as an immensely important reality – Thomas Jefferson wrote that we all have the freedom to live. But now his beliefs are being destroyed by a society that only values production, not life. In Terri Schiavo’s case, a judge has decided she should die, although there is (a) no evidence she wants to die, and (b) no precedent that suicide is a “right” or an acceptable form of behavior. In the past, a doctor would be indicted for killing a patient and violating the Hippocratic Oath. In today’s world, a judge can order a doctor to do just that and not even a government can step in to stop it.

What stuns me is that we ignore the witness of other countries. Look to the Netherlands for the results of legalized euthanasia: the end-game is the ability of a doctor to determine whether you should live or die. In that country a doctor can now kill a sick child without the parent’s assent; Is this the America you want to live in?

And yet, we have Clint Eastwood standing up for those would kill Terri Schiavo in Million-Dollar, Baby. To make it worse, Clint Eastwood dresses up characters as Christians and insinuates that the loving thing to do is kill those who cannot produce; like Nietzsche, he is redefining “good” to suit his evil ends. And, shamefully, he is pretending like those who are good would agree with him (and he is deceptively advertising his movie, but that’s another post).

Right now a court battle surrounds Terri Schiavo’s right to live. But the national media ignores it. To date bloggers have worked voraciously to stop mistruth and injustice in other cases; how much more should we be doing to stop an innocent woman’s death? A woman whose only crime is a disability – does this make her less worth fighting for?

If we fight for Terri Schiavo we must also work to change a culture the values life in terms of productivity – a materialistic bent that can literally destroy you or your children in the future. This is a tragic situation, but more that just the life of one woman, we are watching a judicial system hellbent on destroying us all.

Pray for Terri Schiavo. Pray for our country. And then do something.

God bless,
Jay

Terri Schiavo's parents will appear on Larry King Live tonight. As many of you know, Micheal Schiavo, Terri's husband (in the legal sense), has been trying to kill her for a while now and the Florida courts continue to try and help him. Meanwhile, Terri Schiavo's parents are trying desperately to save their daughter's life. It will be interesting to see where Larry King takes this interview . . .

I think this is a defining case for Americans and euthanasia. Can a husband kill his sick wife? Can he do it if he has no real evidence that she wanted to be killed? Is he still her guardian if he has moved on and joined an entirely new family? Much prayer is needed.

You can find more details on the case at CURE's blog.

Hat tip to Fr. Rob at Thrownback and Amy Welborn (again) at Open Book.

God bless,
Jay

UPDATE: Kudos to the Schindler's Attorney, who id an excellent job of explaining the situation. I also finally heard a reasonable explanation of why Michael won't simply turn her over to her parents: she might explain what happened in that mysterious "accident" that the police felt should be investigated by homocide.

Today we have another example of our judicial system gone mad: The Florida Supreme Court ruled that Terri's Law was unconstitutional. This is fascinating from a legal perspective:

The unanimous court said the law that kept Terri Schiavo alive violated the separation of powers between the judicial branch and the legislative and executive branches.

Now, I'm no legal expert, but I thought the only oversight of the judicial branch of goverment was legislative power to write laws. The judges seem to be suggesting that you cannot overturn a judicial fiat through normal lawmaking. This seems perverse and scary (judges, after all, cannot be removed from the bench easily).

And somewhere in this mess, Michael Schiavo finally gets to kill his wife so he can keep the insurance money. It's a shame that he isn't willing to simply turn her over to her parents (who have been fighting for her right-to-live for years) and continue his new life with his new wife/fiance/whatever (she'd better hope she stays healthy!).

Much prayer is needed - especially considering the direction our courts have taken in recent years.

God bless,
Jay

Those who would kill Terri Schiavo simply refuse to quit. For those who haven’t followed this, some quick background: Terri was injured in an unexplained accident several years ago. There is a significant amount of discussion over exactly how injured she is, but suffice it to say that she requires a feeding tube. For the last year (at least) her husband (now living with another woman) has been working through the courts to remove the tube so that Terri will die. On the other side of the court cases is Terri’s family, who simply ask that custody of Terri be given to them – they would continue utilizing the feeding tube to keep her alive.

Basically, her husband insists Terri didn't want to be kept alive "artificially," although he has no evidence to attest to this (note that I don't believe food keeps you alive "artificially"). After a horrific court decision to remove the tubes, the Florida legislature and Jeb Bush passed a law essentially saving Terri’s life. I personally thought that this was all over. But alas, yesterday a judge struck down the law saying that the legislature didn’t have the authority to save Terri’s life (judges continue to confound me).

In the end, let’s pray for some sanity, justice and wisdom in the courts. I think when we look back on the last half of the twentieth century in 100 years, “Injust” will be the word that best describes so much of it.

Pray also for Terri Schiavo, that her life might be spared.

God bless,
Jay

Tonight, the show Hannity and Colmes on Fox News Channel at 9 p.m. will feature Terri Schiavo's parents discussing the case and the facts about Terri. We've had a lively discussion board on this topic here, but it died out a bit when the facts of Micheal Schiavo's situation began spilling out (let's just say he has a vested interest in seeing his wife starved to death).

I think everyone should watch the show. It will be an interesting and very personal look at the politics of life in the U.S.

Jay

Here's an interesting article by Newsweek magazine on the still unfolding saga of Terri Schiavo. Here's a quote that got me:

Battered by the earlier court rulings, the Schindlers appealed to public opinion. They posted videos online showing Terri seeming to respond to her mother’s presence, her face flickering with glee. In others, she appears to follow the movements of a balloon. Doctors enlisted by her parents offer images like these as proof that Terri has flashes of awareness and could eventually recover.

In my mind, hope is the key ingredient. There is hope that Terri could recover (from doctors, not just her parents). Shouldn't this be enough to protect her life? There is no living will - we're taking Michael Schiavo's word that Terri would rather die than live like this. Why?

In the case of a person's life, I would suggest we need more than one person's word to decide upon death. Although I would argue that no one should be killed - they should naturally pass on - I'm surprised that so many want to allow Michael to kill his wife. What's pathetic is that in the US Micheal wouldn't be able to stop Terri from getting an abortion (killing his child), but because of a medical problem he can kill Terri without her obvious consent.

What's that joke about lawyers?

Jay

PS - Thanks to OpenBook for the link.

UPDATE: Also don't miss this article on the money involved in this debate over life. It's ugly.

Yes, it's true: Governor Bush deserves our credit and our applause. He just signed into law a bill allowing Terri Schiavo to live despite the wishes of some.

You can read the story here.

What an amazing example of the power of prayer. It's also a sign that we should simply and confidently trust in God. Even when it seems all is dark, He is still in control. It appeared to many that Terri was past saving - her feeding tube, after all, had been removed. And yet reality is changed to fit God's plans.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for this. Also, be sure to click here for our local debate on the value of Terri's life - it's gotten quite interesting in the last few days.

Be sure to visit Times against Humanity and TerrisFight.org for continuing coverage.

Jay

The fight for Terri Schiavo has turned into a peaceful vigil seeking a miracle. Terri is now being deprived of food and water until the time of her death. It is a time for prayer and meditation.

For more information on the peaceful protests or legal proceedings, see TerrisFight.org or Times Against Humanity. Times also features links to various other articles and blogs concerning the situation.

Jay

UPDATE: By the way, this old post has resulted in an interesting discussion over whether Terri Schiavo should live or not. Be sure to add your thoughts.

Here's an update I received on the status of Terri Schiavo's fight for life from Earl Appleby at Times Against Humanity:

Contributing editor Pamela Hennessy of the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation brings us the latest news from Ground Zero in the fight to save Terri:

As you may already know, a hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 11, 2003, at the courthouse in Clearwater, Florida. This hearing is to be at 10.00am (GMT -5) and, at that time, Judge Greer is expected to schedule a date when Terri Schindler-Schiavo's feeding tube will be removed. When that is done, Terri will die from dehydration and/or starvation. Though the attorney representing Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, contends that this is a peaceful and painless death, the truth is that Terri will be made to suffer tremendously. You can read more here.

Demonstrators are expected to convene that day, prior to the proceedings. If you are in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, you are welcome to join in. It is of the utmost importance that any demonstration be a peaceful one. The courthouse is located at the intersection of Court Street and Fort Harrison Avenue in downtown Clearwater, Florida. If you are able to attend, bring signs. Bring water as it will be warm. Plan on media asking you questions. Try to answer the questions of passersby, if you can. Direct people to www.terrisfight.org if they don't understand the case. There is a public sidewalk directly in front of the courthouse, facing Fort Harrison Avenue. Likewise, there is a public sidewalk directly across the road. Traffic, both auto and foot, is high from the hours of 7.00am until 9.30am. You will be seen and heard. It is not appropriate nor recommended that you assemble on the campus of the court complex itself. Only public encroachment such as sidewalks. Understanding that everyone has obligations andwork, if you can attend, your presence is appreciated.

There is a pending petition to federal courts that will be refiled before the week is out. This petition argues that Terri's civil liberties have been denied by her husband. If the federal judge accepts jurisdiction of the case, Terri's case will move to the federal courts and out of the present venue of the 6th circuit court of Pinellas County.

Additionally, the attorney representing Terri's immediate family has filed a Motion to Disqualify Judge George Greer based on evidence that he has spoken openly about Terri's case to confidantes and media - without litigating attorneys present.

There is no guarantee that Judge Greer will step down, nor that the federal courts will accept jurisdiction of Terri's case. With that in mind, the hearing on September 11 could be the final decision in this young woman's life.

If you have questions, suggestions or require more information, please do not hesitate to email me directly. Please also feel free to circulate this email.

On behalf of Terri Schindler-Schiavo and the family who loves her, thank you.

Pamela F. Hennessy, Media Volunteer
Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation

CURE thanks you, too. Let us never surrender in the fight for what is right!

Please pray for Terri!

Jay

Well, Terry Schiavo’s husband has just crossed another line. In case you haven’t heard, Terry Schiavo is a Florida woman suffering from brain-damage, which has rendered her disabled. Michael, Terry’s husband, has been on a ‘quest’ over the past ten years to murder his wife and now it looks like he’s succeeded. The courts have granted him permission to kill her by removing her feeding tubes – starvation, basically. This is all despite Terry’s parents, who have fought to save her life.

So, Michael seems to be vying for a coveted spot in hell, but that’s not enough. Michael, you see, doesn’t want to wait in line down there, so he’s gone one step further. He’s banned visits from priests to his wife. You can get more information here.

Is there something you can do? Yes, actually. Terry’s only chance is for the Governor of Florida, President Bush’s brother, to step in and save her life. So, click here and sign a petition to request his help in the situation. This is such a sad case, but points to the greater problems we have in the U.S.; the unwillingness of anyone to suffer and selfish desire determining the ‘moral’ course of action.

Also, say a Rosary for Terry and for her husband. He can, after all, reverse his decision.

Jay

Thanks to Mark Shea and Times against Humanity for pointing these issues out.