Just Keep Praying

by Thomas A. Droleskey

Although the life of Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo still hangs precariously in the balance as she continues to be denied food and water, it appears as though a just and moral piece of legislation will be passed by the United States House of Representatives this morning, Palm Sunday, March 20, 2005, that will permit Federal courts to review the actions of Florida Judge George Greer that have resulted in the removal of Mrs. Schiavo's food and water tubes for the third time in four years. The bill will be signed into law by President George W. Bush, who is flying back to Washington, D.C., from Crawford, Texas, specifically for this purpose, as soon as it passed by the House of Representatives this morning. While it is difficult to determine at this point if a Federal judge will order the reinsertion of Mrs. Schiavo's food and water tubes immediately following the signing of the legislation, there is now a bit of hope that this third attempt to starve and dehydrate her to death can be thwarted, at least for the moment.

No one has been harder on the anti-life policies of President George W. Bush than this writer. I will continue to be hard on the President if he continues to support the funding of chemical abortions in this country and around the world and if he continues to support candidates of his own political party for election who support all baby-killing at all times, among other things. Credit must be given, however, where credit is due. I am most happy as a Catholic and as a citizen of the United States of America to give credit to President Bush for seeing in the fate of Terri Schindler-Schiavo an opportunity to try to save one human life from an cruel death under the cover of an unjust and immoral law. Presidential spokesman Scott McClellan has referred to Mrs. Schiavo's case as "complex," which it is not. There is nothing complex about "Thou shalt not kill." Nevertheless, the fact that President Bush is interrupting his trip to the Texas White House to fly to Washington, D.C., to sign this legislation in the hopes of saving Terri's life so that there can a review of her case in Federal courts is most welcomed and an answer to prayers. This is indeed one truly pro-life action taken by the current administration upon which all Americans who understand the importance of restoring full legal protection to all innocent human life from the first moment of conception through all subsequent stages until natural death can agree as admirable and just. Credit must also be given to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Senator Rick Santorum, House Judiciary Committee Chariman James Sensenbrenner and to Chairman Tom Davis of the House Government Reform Committee for their diligence in this matter.

As I have stated in past commentaries, the forces that have been at work in seeking the destruction of the life of Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo are not going to stopped ultimately by legislative strategies or by court decisions. The only antidote to the poisons that are spreading so rapidly through the veins of our national life is the consecration of Russia by a pope with all of the world's bishops and thus the subsequent conversion of the whole world, including the United States of America, to the true Faith. In the meantime, though, we must try to do those things that we can without compromising the binding precepts of the Divine positive law and the natural law to save individual lives and to limit the harm of the errors of Russia, which are really the errors of Modernity in the world and Modernism in the Church. The legislation to be passed by the House and signed into law by President Bush today is one such limited measure that might (emphasis on might) result in justice finally being done in the case of the victim-soul, Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

A court hearing before an honest judge would have to involve some of the following questions:

1) Why should any court accept the word of Michael Schiavo, a public adulterer, that his estranged wife would want food and water withdrawn if she were ever in a situation of incapacitation?

2) Is there any evidence to suggest that Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo, a practicing Roman Catholic, would have insisted on having food and water withdrawn from her against the expressed teachings of the Catholic Church as reiterated by Pope John Paul II on March 20, 2004, and recently by Renato Cardinal Martino, the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Bishop Elio Sgreccia, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life?

3) Has Mrs. Schiavo been denied her procedural due process rights by not having an independent counsel represent her own interests in this cases?

4) Has Michael Schiavo used the monies allotted for Mrs. Schiavo's rehabilitation for that purpose? Or has he squandered the money on the legal fees to pay for her execution under the cover the unjust and immoral law on the statute books in the State of Florida?

5) Will there be any effort on the part of a disinterested guardian appointed by a Federal judge to bring Mrs. Schiavo into the public so that she can be asked this basic question: Do you want to live?

6) Will evidence be accepted from Roman Catholic theologians that the provision of food and water is not "medical treatment" but ordinary care that can never be withdrawn as it causes as its only end the death of a living human being, something that is proscribed by the binding precepts of the Divine positive law and the natural law?

7) With parents and siblings willing to care for Mrs. Schiavo until she dies a natural death, will a Federal judge implore Mr. Schiavo to withdraw his efforts to kill her?

8) Will the actions of Judge Greer that have denied Mrs. Schiavo proper legal representation of her own interests be subjected to close scrutiny before a Federal judge?

Whoever pleads this case in Federal court, if the legislation to be signed into law today actually is implemented and results in Mrs. Schiavo's case being moved to a Federal court while her food and water are restored to her, will have to make it clear that the Florida statute is unjust and immoral on its face. We do not accept it as valid and indeed consider it repugnant to the law of God and hence to the right ordering of the common good of this nation. Given the "power" that this unjust law has given Judge George Greer, however, to play God and to determine the fate of a woman who is entitled to food and water as ordinary care, however, we must pray that the legal counsel who get the opportunity to argue this case before a Federal judge will make it clear that there is no evidence to demonstrate that Mrs. Schiavo would have put her "own" wishes, as represented by her faithless husband, above fidelity to the teaching of Christ as explicated by His true Church. Personal wishes, if such wishes ever existed or were expressed, never trump the law of God. This point must be made resoundingly in Federal court.

The new effort may fail. A Federal judge may refuse to order the reinsertion of the feeding and water tubes. Mrs. Schiavo could die more quickly than anyone expects. Challenges to the new law from Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, might delay the matter even further. We must continue to keep praying for a true miracle here. Justice in an American courtroom is a rare thing. It is not impossible, however. Thus, we continue to beseech Our Lady and Saint Joseph and Saint Michael the Archangel to protect Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo and to move the hearts of those who will be given jurisdiction over her case to act promptly to remedy the injustices visited upon her by Judge George Greer and to transfer permanent custody of her to her loving parents and siblings.

Our Lady, Help of Christians, continue to pray for Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

Saint Joseph, Terror of demons and Patron of the dying, help ward off the demons seeking to kill Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle and be our safeguard against the wickedness and the snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, cast into Hell Satan and the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.