Eternal Rest Grant Unto Her O Lord...

The 41-year-old woman died Thursday morning, nearly 14 days after doctors removed the feeding tube that had kept her alive for 15 years.

"Terri Schiavo has passed and stepped into eternity at 9:05 a.m.," said David Gibbs, lead lawyer for Schiavo's parents.

Brother Paul O’Donnell, an adviser to the Schindlers, said the parents and their two other children “were denied access at the moment of her death. They’ve been requesting, as you know, for the last hour to try to be in there and they were denied access by Michael Schiavo. They are in there now, praying at her bedside.”

Peggy Noonan Kicks Butt!

Writing for Opinion Journal she says:

I do not understand the emotionalism of the pull-the-tube people. What is driving their engagement? Is it because they are compassionate, and their hearts bleed at the thought that Mrs. Schiavo suffers? But throughout this case no one has testified that she is in persistent pain, as those with terminal cancer are.

If they care so much about her pain, why are they unconcerned at the suffering caused her by the denial of food and water? And why do those who argue for Mrs. Schiavo's death employ language and imagery that is so violent and aggressive? The chairman of the Democratic National Committee calls Republicans "brain dead." Michael Schiavo, the husband, calls House Majority Leader Tom DeLay "a slithering snake."

Why are they so committed to this woman's death?

They seem to have fallen half in love with death.

What does Terri Schiavo's life symbolize to them? What does the idea that she might continue to live suggest to them?

Why does this prospect so unnerve them? Again, if you think Terri Schiavo is a precious human gift of God, your passion is explicable. The passion of the pull-the-tube people is not.

I do not understand why people who want to save the whales (so do I) find campaigns to save humans so much less arresting. I do not understand their lack of passion. But the save-the-whales people are somehow rarely the stop-abortion-please people.

The PETA people, who say they are committed to ending cruelty to animals, seem disinterested in the fact of late-term abortion, which is a cruel procedure performed on a human.

I do not understand why the don't-drill-in-Alaska-and-destroy-its-prime-beauty people do not join forces with the don't-end-a-life-that-holds-within-it-beauty people.

I do not understand why those who want a freeze on all death penalty cases in order to review each of them in light of DNA testing--an act of justice and compassion toward those who have been found guilty of crimes in a court of law--are uninterested in giving every last chance and every last test to a woman whom no one has ever accused of anything.

There are passionate groups of women in America who decry spousal abuse, give beaten wives shelter, insist that a woman is not a husband's chattel. This is good work. Why are they not taking part in the fight for Terri Schiavo? Again, what explains their lack of passion on this? If Mrs. Schiavo dies, it will be because her husband, and only her husband, insists she wanted to, or would want to, or said she wanted to in a hypothetical conversation long ago. A thin reed on which to base the killing of a human being.

The pull-the-tube people say, "She must hate being brain-damaged." Well, yes, she must. (This line of argument presumes she is to some degree or in some way thinking or experiencing emotions.) Who wouldn't feel extreme sadness at being extremely disabled? I'd weep every day, wouldn't you? But consider your life. Are there not facets of it, or facts of it, that make you feel extremely sad, pained, frustrated, angry? But you're still glad you're alive, aren't you? Me too. No one enjoys a deathbed. Very few want to leave.

Terri Schiavo may well die. No good will come of it. Those who are half in love with death will only become more red-fanged and ravenous.

And those who are still learning--our children--oh, what terrible lessons they're learning. What terrible stories are shaping them. They're witnessing the Schiavo drama on television and hearing it on radio. They are seeing a society--their society, their people--on the verge of famously accepting, even embracing, the idea that a damaged life is a throwaway life.

Our children have been reared in the age of abortion, and are coming of age in a time when seemingly respectable people are enthusiastic for euthanasia. It cannot be good for our children, and the world they will make, that they are given this new lesson that human life is not precious, not touched by the divine, not of infinite value.

Once you "know" that--that human life is not so special after all--then everything is possible, and none of it is good. When a society comes to believe that human life is not inherently worth living, it is a slippery slope to the gas chamber. You wind up on a low road that twists past Columbine and leads toward Auschwitz. Today that road runs through Pinellas Park, Fla.

I love Peggy Noonan.  She is right.

Seminary Professor Weighs In On Terri Shiavo

Fr. Edward Richard, one of my Professors at Kenrick-Seminary had an article in the St. Louis Post Disgust Dispatch on the Terri Shiavo Case.  Here are a few excerpts:

The tragic saga of Terri Schiavo - allegedly in a persistent vegetative state - marks the current level of confusion arising from a loss of the sense of the meaning of the human person, a unity of body and soul, the basis of many age-old laws relating to social order, including the prohibition against euthanasia.

Terri's story gained national attention because many concerned people believe that dying with dignity does not mean that Terri should die due to a court-ordered insult to her person through deprivation of food and water. For these, many Christians among them, Terri is a living, breathing human person whose life is of unimaginable value and is worthy of protection and basic care.

The troubling thing with the slogan "death with dignity" is that it has no clear meaning or limits. Quite rightly, no one should have to accept becoming a victim of therapeutic tyranny or overzealous treatment beyond reason. Terri's alleged condition, the so-called persistent vegetative state, is one most people know very little about. Even for the expert, it is only a hypothesis. Most people do not realize that misdiagnosis and varying degrees of recovery are common to this category of medical cases. One study reported that 40 percent of these cases are misdiagnosed. In Terri's case, there is wide disagreement among the experts. But, all agree, Terri is alive.

Moreover, the term "vegetative" applied to any living woman offends human dignity. Living human beings are never forms of plant life. In practice, the vegetative description has become a self-fulfilling prophecy for the victims, since very little attention is given to adequate means of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of these persons in the United States. It is far more common for them to be abandoned to death than it is for attempts to be made to help the patient improve with even simple therapies. The excuse for this is always the same: We cannot guarantee recovery.
Many people die from disease because no treatment exists to stop the progression of the disease toward inevitable death. Terri's condition is similar to those only insofar as the competence of current medical practice is surpassed by the enormous challenge of the affliction. Unlike cases such as terminal cancer, Terri is not dying. Nothing about Terri's condition makes her "terminal." In this case, Terri will die because she will not receive food and water in the way that is appropriate for her condition.

Terri and others like her are at risk because they have disabilities that are not terminal but are difficult for the current state of medicine and because they have insufficient legal protection. The law has abandoned doctrines which afford protection to human beings in significant cases where life is most vulnerable.

In Terri's case, a number of Americans have seen what law and medicine could not. Terri's humanity and its dignity mean that she should be guaranteed basic care including food and water. It is now time to begin asking how medicine and law can legitimately serve to bolster respect for and improve the lives of persons with disabilities like Terri's, not sanction their deaths. Unfortunately for Terri, needed improvements in the law will probably be too late.

In Terri's case, a number of Americans have seen what law and medicine could not. Terri's humanity and its dignity mean that she should be guaranteed basic care including food and water. It is now time to begin asking how medicine and law can legitimately serve to bolster respect for and improve the lives of persons with disabilities like Terri's, not sanction their deaths. Unfortunately for Terri, needed improvements in the law will probably be too late.

The Rev. Edward J. Richard is an attorney, a Roman Catholic priest, vice-rector and associate professor of medical ethics at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, and a member of the board of directors of the Center for Bioethics and Culture.

Read the whole article here.

How Incredibly Sick and Sad

Do your children have access to filth?  Chances are that if they download music through peer to peer softwear, they do. 

Please make sure your children are safe.

I Wonder If They Will Want To Starve Him Too?

VATICAN CITY  — Pope John Paul II may have to return to the hospital to have a feeding tube inserted, an Italian news agency reported Tuesday. It stressed that no decision had been made.

The APcom news agency, citing an unidentified source, said the 84-year-old pope might have to have the tube inserted to improve his nutrition since he is having difficulty swallowing with the breathing tube that was inserted Feb. 24.

Homily:  Good Friday

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 Today is a great feast day. It is the feast day of those who suffer, and of those who feel hopeless it is the feast day of sinners.  Today is everyone’s feast day, for we all are sinners in need of Gods mercy, we all suffer is some way, and we all at one time or another have felt as though all hope is lost.  For those who were there on that hill two thousand years ago it must have felt like all was lost, but what most of them did not realize was that Jesus was not losing the battle on the cross, rather he was reigning as King from the cross, His throne of grace and mercy so that we might come to him and receive grace, mercy, and love.

Yet, even though he bids us to draw near to the cross to receive his mercy we find it hard to do, we find it hard to humble ourselves to admit that we do indeed need His help but today in the midst of this celebration we are called to cast off our fears, to abandon our pride, to humble ourselves before the God who loved us so much that he was willing to suffer the most extreme humiliation and pain that a man could ever suffer.  He suffered so that we might obtain forgiveness – he did not suffer for himself, but for us.  He died for you and for me and that act of love begs a response. 

A death as unjust and horrible as his requires that we do something – not just look on from a distance.  It requires a response from deep within us – from the very core of our being.  Such an act of love must be returned and the way that we return the love that he has shown us is by adoring, by loving, by realizing that our sins are the cause of this suffering and to say that we are sorry.  We respond by receiving the mercy and strength that flow from the wounds of the crucified.

In just a few moments we will unveil the crucifix and them come forward to venerate our crucified king.  This moment when we come forward to kiss the feet of our Lord is a time that the Church provides to bring to him our needs, our pains, our sins, or very selves.  My friends, come to the Throne of Mercy with great confidence, for without a doubt our Lord loves us and desires to pour out upon us his mercy and love… If you have a hard time believing that, let yourself come before him in prayer as he hangs upon the cross in agony – let us allow our eyes to meet his – and then let us ask ourselves if these are the eyes of someone who does not love us?  No, they are eyes which tell of love beyond measure, they are eyes which tell of forgiveness of all our sins if only we ask, they are eyes that invite us into his pierced heart so that we may be bathed in his blood.  So come, today let us draw near to the throne of Grace and return his love with ours.  Come, let us worship.

Do Something

From Mark Shea:

I just sent this to Jeb Bush and the Prez (at jeb@myflorida.com and president@whitehouse.gov). Feel free to copy, sign with your own name and send

Subject: The Imperial Judiciary

President Bush, Governor Bush:

I believe we are approaching a watershed moment when it will be the obligation of the Executive to stop the insanity of an out-of-control judiciary. The murder of Terri Schiavo is that moment. When (not if) Judge Greer refuses to grant Governor Bush protective custody, I challenge you before Almighty God to say, "Judge Greer has made his decision. Now let him enforce it." Then, take protective custody of her anyway. Enough is enough! The state has no right to starve an innocent person to death. An unjust law is no law at all.

Sincerely,

Check This Out

The true colors of both sides are shown...

In Case You Are Interested

I recieved this e-mail and thought I would pass it along.  I would go, but I am in South Dakota, but hopefully many St. Louis residents who read this blog will go.

At 3pm on Good Friday (tomorrow) there will be an hour of prayer for Terri Schaivo at the Clayton Courthouse.
 
We just want to give a PEACEFUL hour of recognition to the dignity of this poor woman's life.  This case carries enormous
implications and could be this generations Roe v. Wade. I think it's important for people to see that others care. We have contacted radio and tv.  Please feel free to bring signs that support Terri Schiavo.  

For more information please contact Cathy at (314)-838-9020 or Elizabeth at (314) 616-1425.

Divine Mercy Novena

Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday.  He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said:

"These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy."

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."

Click here for the prayers of the Novena

Homily:  Holy Thursday

“It is the Passover of the Lord.”

Imagine what that first Passover must have been like for the Hebrew people.  They must have been quite fearful, for they had seen the power of the Lord manifested through great wonders.  They had seen the River Nile run with blood, they had seen locusts and flies descend upon them and devour everything in their path, they had seen friends and neighbors tormented with boils, and fire falling from the skies.  They knew the power of the Lord, and now, as a last resort, he was threatening to send the angel of death to take the life of every firstborn son or man and beast alike – and from past experience they knew that he would do it.  The darkness of death hovered – and they must have been afraid that the darkness of death might win. 

 But there was no need to fear, for God watches over His children and he provided a way for the Hebrews to be saved from this most horrific death.  He told them that if they offered in sacrifice a spotless unblemished lamb and smeared his blood on the doorposts of their homes, then the angel of death would pass over them thus sparing them of the plague of death.  Through that blood, smeared on the wood of their doorposts they would be given life and freedom from oppression – and ultimately they would be given the promised land.

 My friends, tonight we gather to begin the most holy and solemn three day celebration of the new and eternal Passover in which Christ, the true spotless and unblemished lamb is sacrificed.  We celebrate the true and eternal Passover wherein the blood of Christ is smeared on the wood of the cross for our salvation and, in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion that same blood comes to rest on our lips – the very doorposts of our bodies so that spiritual death may pass over us and we may be led into the glory of the Resurrection and the Promised Land of heaven.

 The Eucharist is our Passover.  It is the sacrifice through which we enter into the Passion and death of Jesus and thus find freedom sin and death and gain entrance into the Promised Land.  And not only is it the sacrifice which gains us entrance into the promised land of heaven but it is also a model for us of how we ought to live our lives.  Just as Christ laid down his life freely, totally and with great love for us, so we ought to lay down our lives for the sake of our brothers and sisters.  We like Jesus the Eternal High Priest should be willing to offer everything that we have and are for the sake of others.  This is what it means when we say that we share in the priesthood of all believers – we are called, like Jesus, to offer the sacrifice of our lives.  Priests are called to live this in a special way through a life of celibacy, obedience, availability and through offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but all of us, in virtue of our baptism are called to offer the sacrifice of our lives.  We do this by helping our brothers and sisters when we do not necessarily feel like it, or by being kind to someone that annoys us, by sharing our time, talents and treasures with our parish community, or by even tonight by spending some time with our Eucharistic Lord after Mass when we would rather go home and watch TV.  These truly are sacrifices offered to God for the good of others.

Tonight, in a special way this self-sacrificing is modeled for us in the Gospel where Jesus, the Savior of the World and King of the Universe takes off his outer garment, ties a towel about his waist, kneels down and gently washes the feet of his Apostles.  Imagine what it would have been like to witness this action, or what it would have been like to be one of the Apostles…how they must have felt utterly humbled knowing that God himself was washing their feet and drying them with a towel.  What tender love our Lord has for us.  What gentleness.  It must have been a very emotional moment for the twelve, and tonight through the reenacting of this action we too will enter into that moment.

As we watch Fr. Ken, who stands in the place of Jesus wash the feet of twelve parishioners let us enter into that moment when Jesus, on the night before he was to offer himself as the spotless unblemished lamb on the altar of the cross, humbled himself to teach us what it means to love. 

It is no coincidence that this action is connected with the Last Supper in which the First Mass was offered; for our self giving in service to our brothers and sisters is intimately connected with the Holy Mass in which we enter into the self-sacrifice of Christ on Calvary.   It is in the Mass where our sacrifices meet the sacrifice of Christ and together are offered through the Hands of the Priest to God the Father.

So today, as we enter into these most sacred of days let us unite ourselves to Christ in his self-sacrifice.  Let us enter into the reenactment of today’s Gospel and into the Sacrifice of Calvary which will be offered on this Altar so that we may truly learn what it means to love.  Jesus himself said, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”  Today let us resolve to follow his model.

True Story

Fr. Terri Shiavo's lawyer:

The most dramatic event of this visit happened at one point when I was sitting on Terri’s bed next to Suzanne. Terri was sitting in her lounge chair and her aunt was standing at the foot of the chair. I stood up and learned over Terri. I took her arms in both of my hands. I said to her, “Terri if you could only say ‘I want to live’ this whole thing could be over today.” I begged her to try very hard to say, “I want to live.” To my enormous shock and surprise, Terri’s eyes opened wide, she looked me square in the face, and with a look of great concentration, she said, “Ahhhhhhh.” Then, seeming to summon up all the strength she had, she virtually screamed, “Waaaaaaaa.” She yelled so loudly that Michael Vitadamo, Suzanne’s husband, and the female police officer who were then standing together outside Terri’s door, clearly heard her. At that point, Terri had a look of anguish on her face that I had never seen before and she seemed to be struggling hard, but was unable to complete the sentence. She became very frustrated and began to cry. I was horrified that I was obviously causing Terri so much anguish. Suzanne and I began to stroke Terri’s face and hair to comfort her. I told Terri I was very sorry. It had not been my intention to upset her so much. Suzanne and I assured Terri that her efforts were much appreciated and that she did not need to try to say anything more. I promised Terri I would tell the world that she had tried to say, ”I want to live.”

On Break

I am home in South Dakota for my Easter break, so posts will be pretty slow.  I will be preaching Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil.  I will post my homilies.

Let us also remember Terri Shiavo and pray that good will triumph over evil and life over death.

"I Was Just Like Terri"

Terri Schiavo's execution is still on schedule for this Friday, March 18.  A "persistent-vegetative-state" survivor, whose attorney husband saved her life, has come forward to testify to the experience of starvation by tube removal:   

"Struck down in 1995 at the age of thirty-three by a rare double brainstem stroke, Kate [Adamson], then a mother of two young girls, was completely paralyzed; she was unable even to blink her eyes. Like Terri Shiavo, the medical staff treating her questioned the merit of continuing granting Kate the most basic human right of food and water...

..."Frequently described by medical authorities as a humane way to die, Kate -- now as vibrant and beautiful as before her stroke -- testified before the crowd of Terri's family and supporters that this form of legalized execution was 'one of the most painful experiences you can imagine.' Unable to respond or to indicate awareness, Kate Adamson asserts, 'I was just like Terri … but I was alive! I could hear every word. They were saying "shall we just not treat her?" ... I suffered excruciating misery in silence.'"

Read the whole story here.

An Absolutely Excellent Article on Terri Shiavo's Case

This article is by Fr. Rob Johansen, and is a very good accounting of what is really going on, not what the media might be telling us.  It is a must read for anyone who is interested in this case. 

 Click here to read it.

Homily:  5th Sunday of Lent

“O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them…”

-First Reading

 In all three of today’s readings we hear an awful lot about dead people coming back to life – graves being opened, people walking out of the tomb after having been there for quite a long time.  Even the stench of the grave could not stop Jesus from using his power to raise Lazarus from the dead.

 You know, Fr. Hallemann can raise people from the dead.  So can Fr. Simon and Fr. Vien.  In fact, every priest has the power to raise people from the dead and they use it a lot.  Now you may be asking yourself…what in the world is Deacon Christensen talking about?  My friends, I am talking about the Sacrament of Penance: the Sacrament where dead people walk into the confessional and living ones walk out.  People whose spirits are dead because of mortal sin walk into the confession and through the power of God working through the priest they are raised from the tomb of sin.  Even those who have been spiritually dead for a long time, who are bound hand and foot by habits of sin, and whose souls stink from the rot of spiritual death are raised to new life by the simple words of absolution spoken by the priest.  It seems almost too good to be true, that Jesus, through the words of the priest can raise our souls from the dead, and all we have to do is ask.  It seems to good to be true that all we have to do is humbly confess our sins to a priest, be sorry and resolved to avoid this sin in the future, receive absolution, and they are forgiven, wiped away, cast into the depths of the sea…it just seems too good to be true, but it is.

 My friends, lent is the perfect time to once again take advantage of this great Sacrament of forgiveness, and hopefully many of us have already, but for those of us who have not I want to offer some encouragement to do so, even if it has been a long time and you are fearful or embarrassed by the sins you may have committed.  As encouragement I offer the same words that our beloved Pope has said over and over again.  Do not be afraid!  Do not be afraid of a merciful God whose only wish is for us to find happiness through the forgiveness of our sins. We must not let anything, no matter what it is, get in the way of our relationship with our heavenly father. 

 I know it is tough.  I know it can be embarrassing, especially if you haven’t been to confession for 5, 10, 20 or more years, but we must not let that stop us from being reconciled with God.

 Another question I often hear about the Sacrament of Penance is “Why can’t I just confess my sins to God instead of going to a priest?”  To answer this common question I offer the following five reasons why we should frequently confess our sins to God through the priest.  First, when we confess our sins to a priest we seek forgiveness the way Christ intended.  From the very earliest years of the Church Catholics confessed their sins to a priest because they knew that this was the intention of Jesus, passed down through the ages beginning with the apostles.  It is the way that God designed it, and it is always better to do things God’s way than our way.  Second, by confessing to a priest, we learn a lesson in humility, which is avoided when one confesses only through private prayer.  This humility comes from the fact that we have to admit before God and another person that WE have sinned.  Not only does it provide humility but also a certain level of accountability that will help to keep us on the straight and narrow.  Third, we receive Sacramental graces that someone who asks God privately for forgiveness does not get; through the Sacrament of Penance sins are forgiven and graces are obtained.  These graces help us to avoid these sins in the future.  Fourth, we are assured that our sins are forgiven because when the priest says those blessed words “I absolve of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit we know, even if we don’t feel it, that our sins are forgiven.  Finally, we are able to receive sound advise on overcoming our sins from a priest who is well trained to be a doctor of souls.

 These are five great reasons why we should confess our sins to a priest and do so often.   Jesus himself spoke of his mercy found in the Sacrament of Penance in his apparitions to St. Faustina when he said, “…(In the Sacrament of Penance ) the greatest miracles take place and are incessantly repeated.  It suffices to come with faith to the feet of my representative (the priest) and to reveal to him one’s misery and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated.  Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God.  The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full.”  Jesus went on to say, “When you go to confession, know this, that I myself am waiting for you in the confessional; I am only hidden by the priest, but myself act in the soul.  Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy.”  He told St. Faustina to “Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust.  If their trust is great there is no limit to my generosity.” My friends, it is in the Sacrament of Penance that we experience in a very real way the effects of the death and resurrection of Christ, for it is there that we are raised from the death of sin to new life in Christ, which is what lent is all about. 

Pray For The Catholics of The Madison Wisconsin Diocese

A good friend from Madison and frequent commenter on this blog just e-mailed me with this bit of news. 

The fire was reported at about 5:30 a.m., with flames shooting through the roof. Large plumes of dark smoke could be seen from all directions toward the Capitol.

Huh...

Get this:  if you do a google search for seminarian this blog pops up as number one. 

What Do You Think?

I am getting ready to have my ordination holy cards printed up but I am having trouble deciding on what scripture passage to put on it.  I have narrowed it down to two (but I am open to other passages as well).

The two that are at the top of my list are as follows:

2 Corinthians 12:15  "I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls."

or

2 Corinthians 12:9  "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Let me know in the coments which one you like better, or if you have some other suggestions of appropriate passages.

Pathetic

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's health services division has been publishing newspaper ads encouraging students to have emergency contraception - the so-called morning-after pill - on hand during spring break, a move that is rankling abortion critics in the state.

The ad, which began running in the university's two student newspapers, The Daily Cardinal and The Badger Herald, about a week ago, advises students to get the contraceptives by calling University Health Services and getting a prescription over the phone, with no appointment necessary.

Maybe they just shouldn't have sex.  That would work a whole lot better.

What Ever Happened to Our Right To Freely Practice Our Religion?

The culture of death can hardly wait. Come March 18th, the Florida woman must be executed! And she will not be comforted by the Holy Eucharist — known as Viaticum when shared with the dying — as she faces a slow and horrible death by starvation and dehydration.

"Without hearing arguments or evidence," Fr. Johansen shared, "Judge Greer denied the Schindlers' request that Terri be allowed to receive Viaticum by mouth. Judge Greer ruled that if Terri is to be given Communion, it must be done via her feeding tube." But how is the Eucharist to be administered via Terri's feeding tube when in a previous decision, Judge Greer ordered it removed?

"Besides being cruel and bizarre," Fr. Johansen noted on his blog, "[since] only the tiniest fraction of the Host or the tiniest drop of the Precious Blood need be placed on her tongue, [this order] serves to preserve Michael Schiavo and George Felos's contention that Terri cannot receive anything by mouth." It also represents a gross violation of one of Terri's most fundamental rights as a Catholic. And although I am not expert in civil law, it would also seem to violate Terri's civil right to freely practice her religion.

I am really surprised that some of our more liberal brothers and sisters are not all over this one.  I would think that those who focus more on "social justice issues" would be condemning this left and right...but no...all we hear from them is a deafening silence.

If indeed Terri Shiavo is executed it will be a sad day in America.  The culture of death will have won a battle, but it will not win the war.  Life will triumph over death.  We must never lose hope.

Choosing Sides

About 250 worshippers attended a "solidarity" Mass Sunday at St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Church downtown to show support for Archbishop Raymond Burke and his efforts to wrest control of the church's governance from a lay board of directors.

The previous Sunday, those supporting the board of directors' efforts to keep the church independent held a prayer vigil and march from the Cathedral Basilica to the Archdiocese chancery.

Whose side are you on?  If your answer is neither, then I feel I must challenge you.  I say this because it seems to me that if you are not on the side of the Archbishop then you are not on the side of the Church, and if you are not on the side of the Church then you are not on the side of the Holy Spirit, and that is not a good thing.

I am getting more and more frustrated with priests and laity alike who say that they are "staying out of it."  How in the world can you stay out of an argument between the Church and a group of renegade and defiant Catholics.  I just don't get it.  If you are not for the Church, then you are against it.  I think priests especially have a duty to speak out in support of the Archbishop.

What do you think?  Can someone "stay out of it?"

Prayers For Terri Shiavo

While pro-life supporters nationwide fight for the life of brain-damaged Terri Schiavo, whose feeding tube is scheduled to be removed March 18th, New York's Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are staging a different kind of campaign.

The Yonkers chapter of the New York City-based order has started a prayer campaign asking for the intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

With Archbishop Sheen's help, the Friars are hoping for a miracle.

Father Andrew Apostoli C.F.R., one of the friars, said that "the late Archbishop's TV show was called Life is Worth Living, and believed very strongly in the value of every life, but the opponents to Terri Shiavo do not think that her life is worth living."

The Friars are asking that anyone who wishes to join them pray the following prayer:

Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit. If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his powerful intercession. Lord, grant that Terri Shiavo's life be spared and grant her a healing that the world may know the value of every life.

Is Mel Gibson a Feminist?

Kathryn Jean Lopez of NRO has a lovely article on the feminism of Mel Gibson as portrayed in The Passion of the Christ.  The movie is once again the focus of media attention as a new, less bloody version is released in theatres. 

K-Lo has this to say:

In a day when "Take Your Rosaries Off My Ovaries" is an often-heard chorus in mainstream abortion debates, Mel Gibson's understanding of women and his articulation of their unique mission could have remarkable repercussions. This new — or old, inasmuch as it is natural and commonsensical — kind of feminism, a focus on the different contributions of men and women and the different ways they live their missions, should make us all rethink how we live and love.

Read the whole article here.

USCCB Speaks Out On Terri Shiavo

Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore, representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement Thursday calling for food and water to continue to be provided to Terri.

Cardinal Keeler says he prays "that those who hold power over Terri Schindler Schiavo's fate will see that she 'continues to receive nourishment, comfort and loving care.'"

He referred to comments from the Pope at a 2004 conference in Rome, where the pontiff said disabled patients like Terri and even those in a PVS state are entitled to "the right to basic health care (nutrition, hydration, cleanliness, warmth, etc.)."

The Pope previously said it was "morally obligatory" to provide food and water and called the withdrawal of it "euthanasia by omission."

"Deliberately to remove them in order to hasten a patient's death, however, would be a form of euthanasia, which is gravely wrong," Keeler said.

If only Michael Shiavo and Judge Greer would heed the truth.

This Is Really Starting To Get On My Nerves!!!

As posted by CURE advisor Fr. Rob Johansen on Thrown Back:

I spoke with Mary Schindler on the phone last evening, and she gave me some discouraging news on yesterday's hearings in front of Judge Greer.
Firstly, Judge Greer is holding true to his stated intention to entertain motions only pertaining to Terri's "death process" and her final disposition:

• Judge Greer denied, without hearing arguments or evidence, the Schindlers' motion to compel Michael Schiavo's deposition.

• Judge Greer denied, without hearing arguments or evidence, the Schindlers' motion for a divorce of Terri from Michael.

• Judge Greer denied, without hearing arguments or evidence, the Schindlers' motion to remove Michael as guardian.

• Judge Greer heard, but did not rule on, arguments that Terri should be fed by mouth once the feeding tube is removed March 18.

• Judge Greer denied, without hearing arguments or evidence, the Schindlers' request that Terri be allowed to receive Viaticum (Holy Communion for the dying) by mouth. Judge Greer ruled that if Terri is to be given Communion, it must be done via her feeding tube.

• Judge Greer denied the Schindlers' motion to allow their daughter to die at their home, noting the parents can visit the Pinellas Park hospice where she lives.

• Judge Greer denied the Schindlers request to have Terri's intact body interred: He confirmed Michael's order that Terri is to be cremated upon her death.

• Judge Greer denied the Schindlers motion to allow Terri to be buried in Florida. Michael intends to inter her cremated remains in Pennsylvania.

Judge Greer's rulings against the Schindlers on the matter of feeding by mouth and viaticum seem to me most indicative of his frame of mind. By precluding attempts, as a "last ditch" measure, to feed her by mouth, the Judge shows that his object is not merely to stop what he might argue—erroneously—is an "extraordinary" means of support, but to see to it that she dies. One might make an analogy to someone on a [ventilator]. Frequently [ventilators] are removed from patients, but sometimes they continue to breathe on their own without support. It is as though a judge were to order not only that a [ventilator] be removed, but that the patient's mouth and nose be sealed with duct tape, just to make sure he can't get any air by any means. [emphasis added]

Judge Greer's order makes him an active accomplice in directly intending Terri's death. It becomes harder and harder to see how this can be described as anything but judicially ordered homicide. [emphasis added]

And by confirming the order to have Terri cremated, thus precluding an autopsy, he certainly give the appearance of cooperating in an effort to make sure that the full truth of Terri's condition is never ascertained.

The order regarding Viaticum, besides being cruel and bizarre—only the tiniest fraction of the Host or the tiniest drop of the Precious Blood need be placed on her tongue—serves to preserve Michael Schiavo and George Felos' contention that Terri cannot receive anything by mouth. Of course, they have never permitted a swallowing test, so we just have to take their word for it. The last thing they want is the spectacle of Terri taking anything by mouth, as that might cause people to start wondering if Terri might just be able to eat.

From George Felos' standpoint, though, that should hardly make a difference: In Terri's 1998 hearings, Felos infamously advocated what he called the "spoon test.".The test of whether one is a person with a full right to life, he said, is whether he or she can raise a spoon to his lips unaided. If you have a relative who is paralyzed or otherwise unable to feed himself, watch out: In George Felos' world, they're fair game for his tender advocacy of their "right" to die.

If George Felos and Judge Greer get their way, Florida will be a very, very bad place in which to be unlucky enough to get sick, have a stroke, or become incompetent. Someone will be standing by, ready to relieve you of the burden of your existence.

This is very sad and very sickening.  We must pray very hard.

Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act

Today, Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Congressman David Weldon (R-FL) introduced legislation that could save the life of Terri Schiavo, who suffered a brain injury 15 years ago. The Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act (HR 1151, S 539) will give Terri, and those in similar situations, the same Constitutional protection of due process as death row inmates, common sense legislation. Presently, the law does not explicitly recognize due process for an incapacitated individual and leaves the rights of disabled persons at the mercy of the courts instead of defended by the Constitution.

"Dr. Weldon's legislation would allow Terri to have her own counsel that can argue her case, a right given to any criminal in the United States, and Terri not a criminal but a woman truly fighting for her life," says Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council.

"The disabled deserve due process," continues Perkins. "In the United States we don't execute people without due process and we shouldn't execute the incapacitated by starvation. Beyond being cruel and unusual punishment, this is an opportunity for Congress to finally check the power of runaway courts."

I think that we as Christians need to support this legislation.  I think we should first of all pray, second we shoul get on the phone and call our government officials to encourage them to support this legislation.  You can click here to find out who your representatives are and what their phone numbers are.  Please give them a call, you could very well save many lives.

The Ten Commandments

NRO has a great little article about the Ten Commandment issue by Larry Kudlow.  Here are a few excerpts:

The Ten Commandments should stay right where they are — in all cases. Various monuments, structures, and statues of the Ten Commandments can be found all over the U.S., including some highly visible spots in Washington, D.C.

The Ten Commandments are literally chiseled into the American way of life. But there is a campaign going on that would rid this country of any and all religious references. This is part of the ongoing culture war that would stop religious expression in politics and the public square, even though we remain the most religious of all the major industrial countries.

Religion has always been central to our national identity. Religious references do not violate the First Amendment, which was never intended to bar all religious expression or discussion from national discourse. James Madison himself, the author of the First Amendment, was sworn in with his left hand on the Bible. So was George Washington, and, I believe, every president since.

The Ten Commandments provide the very foundation of our nation’s legal code. They also make up the basis of the moral values that thankfully guide us in our everyday lives.

I have a few direct questions for you: Is it such a bad thing to think about not killing, not stealing, not lying, and not committing adultery? Is it so bad to talk about honoring one’s parents? Or to think about a power greater than oneself — about God or some higher deity? Or to set aside just one day a week as a spiritual day, separate from the material strivings of the other six days?

Attempting to live by these moral and religious values is a worthy endeavor. No one of us is perfect; that role is for God alone. But if we strive for better values in our day-to-day lives, if we seek to meet the age-old standards of goodness and honesty, if we try to help our neighbors in all we do, won’t we be better people, even if our imperfections cause us to fall short?

I think Mr. Kudlow is right.  What is so offensive about these Commandments?  I don't know any person of another religion who, even though these commandments are not exculsively part of their religious tradition, does not try to live according to the basic morality of the Ten Commandments.  So what's the big deal?

Another Plea From The Vatican For The Life of Terri Shiavo

The head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has reiterated a call, first issued last month, to stop the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration from a cognitively disabled Florida woman. In startlingly urgent language, Cardinal Renato Martino today issued an urgent appeal against starving Terri Schiavo.

“She will die a horrible and cruel death. She will not simply die; she will have death inflicted upon her over a number of terrible days even weeks . . . how is it that this woman, who has done nothing wrong, will suffer a fate which society would never tolerate in the case of a convicted murderer or anyone else convicted of the most horrendous crimes?,”

You can read the full text of his statement here.

Knights of Columbus

This past Sunday a large number of seminarians and priests, including myself, were inducted into the fourth degree of the Knights of Columbus.  It was a wonderful event culminating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with His Excellency, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke for which I chanted the Gospel (and yes, I chanted the short version otherwise we would have been there forever).

Here are a few pictures from the evening:

For more information on the Knights of Columbus and this particular event click here for a better and more complete account.