Two Years Later, Terri Schiavo Case "Shrouded in Massive
Ignorance"
LifeSiteNews.com
April 2, 2007
By Hilary White
April 2, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A year ago this weekend, March 31, marks
the second anniversary of the death of Theresa Marie "Terri"
Schiavo, who died after being denied nutrition and hydration for two weeks.
The manner of death was certified as "undetermined".
Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and a friend of
the Schindler family, said this weekend, "Terri's case remains shrouded in
massive ignorance."
Most mainstream media outlets claimed that Terri was "terminally ill" or "on
life support" but she breathed without a respirator and doctors agreed that she
was likely to live for many years.
Pavone said, "She was brain-injured, and therefore some thought she was
disposable. The cause of her death - dehydration - was deliberately introduced.
That's called killing. While there is such a thing as a useless treatment, there
is no such thing as a useless life."
In February 1990, Terri Schiavo collapsed under medical circumstances that
were never fully explained. She was left disabled and dependent upon care and
assisted nutrition and hydration. In 1998, her husband and legal guardian,
Michael Schiavo, petitioned the Pinellas County Circuit Court to remove her
feeding tube.
Terri's parents fought the order, however, saying that she responded to them
and was conscious. After seven years, 14 legal appeals; innumerable motions,
petitions, investigations, and hearings; legislation passed and overturned and
even appeals from the Vatican, Michael Schiavo won the final case and Terri died
march 31, 2005, after surviving two weeks without fluids.
Letters and appeals poured in from around the world to try to save her, and
the Terri Schiavo case became synonymous with the struggle between the
euthanasia movement and advocates of the sanctity of life.
Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace, begged Florida officials to allow Terri to live. "She will die a
horrible and cruel death," The Cardinal said, "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?"
Shortly after Terri's death, Fr. Pavone, who was with her up to five minutes
before, recalled, "Do you know that police officers were standing over that bed
at every moment, every moment - armed police officers - making sure we didn't
dip our hands in that water and put it on her tongue. Armed police officers
enforcing the culture of death."
2007 Clippings
