Author: Pete Vere

I hope to be posting some pictures later on, but there’s been some serious happenings go on today at the prayer vigil for Terri.
1) The most serious is that Monsignor attempted to give Terri Holy Communion today, but was stopped by the police and the nursing staff. Although Monsignor was willing to be arrested, he was stopped by all present. This is a serious violation of Terri’s First Ammendment rights. The civil attorney for Terri’s parents was on the phone with Chris Ferrara almost as soon as it happened, and I can now confirm that Chris is working away on this as hard as he can. Chris and I shared a few candid words about the situation, and we’re pretty much in agreement about a lot of things here, although he obviously is better versed in the civil legalities of what’s going on. It goes without saying that he’s very concerned for Terri. He refuses to give up the fight, however, but he needs everyone’s prayers right now.
2) I spent about half an hour with Terri’s parents. They are good people who are being held together by our prayers and the strength of their son Bobby. Sonya and I presented Terri’s father with a St. Benedict Rosary that a St. Blog parishoner and Alhambran had asked us to give the family on behalf of everyone at St. Blog’s and the Alhambra. It just happened that Terri’s father had misplaced his rosary and so he was very happy to receive it, as well as our prayers, because he has been borrowing rosaries for the past month. The rosary he misplaced had been blessed by the Holy Father. I told him that there is someone at St. Blog who has a rosary blessed by the Holy Father that they would be willing to share with Terri’s parents. If that individual is you, please email me at petevere@msn.com . I will be more than happy to reimburse the overnight shipping costs. It would mean a lot to Terri’s family right now.
3) Both Monsignor and Terri’s parents would be extremely grateful if Fr. Johansen could join us. Monsignor is visibly tired, as he maintains a full Mass schedule in addition to being present at the vigil whenever he’s not saying Mass. Not only would Fr. Rob not be a burden, but they were very specific they could really could use his assistance in the coming days.
4) There was a special on double-cheeseburgers at the McDonalds nearby. So once again the evangelicals insured that we were well-fed. They also had some bananas and muffins. Apparently, the evangelicals have really settled into their ministry of providing food to those who come and pray. It is appreciated by everyone there. Tomorrow, a number of local evangelical churches will be holding their service just outside of the hospice where Terri is being starved.
5) Terri’s father and mother are extremely grateful for all the prayers they are receiving from St. Blog and the Alhambra. He is getting over a thousand messages a day from people praying and supporting Terri. Since he cannot physically answer them all, he and Terri’s mom asked me to express their gratitude to St. Blog parishoners and the Alhambra.

Sonya and I are planning to head up to the vigil for Terri Schiavo this afternoon. We hope to arrive around 3:30 and stay until about 5:30. We would like to stay longer, but Sonya’s nine months pregnant so we can only manage a couple hours at a time. (Unfortunately, I cannot go alone either since I need to stay within twenty minutes of Sonya at this point.)
For any other Catholic Light readers in the area who are going to be there, please come over and introduce yourselves. We’re kinda hard to miss. I’m wearing a red Alhambra golf shirt and of course Sonya is nine months pregnant. We’ve also got a spunky red-headed toddler in tow. I’m hoping to blog some pictures once we get back.

A number of people around St. Blog’s, following the lead of the conservative media, have pointed out that Michael Schiavo stands to make a nice lump of cash as soon as Terri is gone. This may be true — he reportedly stands to make something — but I personally question whether money is what is truly at stake with Mike Schiavo.
At least two friends of Terri’s family alleged to me at the vigil that on the day she went into the coma she had decided to divorce Mike. Her family also maintains, if I understand correctly, that there had been a history of domestic violence between her and Mike. I know that at least one of Mike’s former girlfriends alleges something simliar. In addition, the family’s attorney has mentioned evidence that suggests Terri may have been the victim of domestic violence at the time she collapsed.
That being said, my job as a canonist is to examine and question evidence for inconsistencies. So doing so has simply become second nature for me. I have a few questions after reflecting upon recent events. These are: 1) if this is just about money, why does Mike appear to have refused the family’s offer that he simply take the money in exchange for giving them back custody of Terri? 2) If Terri is really in a permanent vegetative state, why the strong objections to her parents videotaping her? Shouldn’t the videotape in fact support his position?
Thus obviously some other motivation is at play here. At one extreme, the possibility is misguided love. In other words, he truly loves Terri and mistakenly believes that this is what is best for her. I don’t think this is the case, however, since such behavior would appear to be inconsistent with his getting engaged to and having a child with another woman. Actions speak louder than words.
Other middle possibilities include the following. He wants the money, but taking it and running would make him look like an even bigger jerk, so pulling the feeding tube gets him what he wants while saving him much embarrassment. The only real objection I can think of to this scenario, which I admit is rather weak, is why would he engage in such lengthy and costly litigation if this was the case?
Another possibility is that he now wants to move on with his life and start over again with his present girlfriend. But in today’s culture of marital instability, would the majority within society really fault him for throwing in the towel, turning Terri over to her parents, divorcing her and giving her parent what money remains? Again, if the issue is calling it quits, why the endurance on his part when it comes to lengthy and costly litigation? Why not just walk away?
Thus I’m left wondering whether there isn’t another reason behind his actions. Given his reported history of domestic violence, is he now trying to beat the rap for something truly incriminating that would come to light if Terri recovered? I don’t know the answer to this. I can only speculate, however, something simply isn’t lining up here in my opinion.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2003
Catholic Media Coalition
www.catholicmediacoalition.org
Contact: Mary Ann Kreitzer
(540) 459-9493
CATHOLIC MEDIA COALITION CONDEMNS EUTHANASIA OF TERRI SCHIAVO
The euthanasia murder of Terri Schindler Schiavo by starvation and dehydration which began yesterday at 2:00 p.m. is a violation of her right to life and a crime against humanity. The Catholic Media Coalition condemns it unequivocally and calls on every Catholic bishop in the United States to express public outrage against this violation of Terri’s right to life and her human dignity. We also call on her bishop, Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg to defend her right to receive the sacraments and the comfort of the faith in this time of trial.
The Catholic Church, of which Terri is a member, teaches that food and water are ordinary means of life and may never be removed unless an individual is imminently dying (within a few hours or days) or cannot receive benefit from them. Terri clearly does not meet that standard. She is not dying and has obviously benefited over the years from tube feeding. Legal decisions allowing the deliberate killing by neglect of the weak and defenseless are always immoral.
Pope John Paul II addressed this issue in his letter to the Bishops of the World issued June 21, 1991. “When legislative bodies enact laws that authorize putting innocent people to death and states allow their resources and structures to be used for these crimes, individual consciences, often poorly formed, are all the more easily led into error. In order to break this vicious circle, it seems more urgent than ever that we should forcefully reaffirm our common teaching, based on sacred Scripture and tradition, with regard to the inviolability of innocent human life.”
On October 2, 1998 the Pope specifically addressed the issue of nutrition and hydration affirming a statement of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee saying it, “rightly emphasizes that the omission of nutrition and hydration intended to cause a patient’s death must be rejected and that, while giving careful consideration to all the factors involved, the presumption should be in favor of providing medically assisted nutrition and hydration to all patients who need them.” The Pope made this statement the same day former Louisville, KY anchorman, Hugh Finn, had his feeding tube removed by legal order at the request of his wife Michele and against the wishes of his parents and siblings. Hugh died an agonizing death nine days later. [See here]
Mary Ann Kreitzer, President of the Catholic Media Coalition, expressed profound sorrow at the tepid response of the Catholic bishops to this crisis of euthanasia. “I’m ashamed as a Catholic to say that our Coalition contacted every bishop in the country asking for their support for Terri and received only a handful of replies. Most of those responding told us they would not take a stand. Her situation is not unique. Murder by neglect is occurring with greater frequency around the country with the complicity of medical staff and the courts. If the Catholic hierarchy fails to speak with authority their silence will be construed as consent. Bishop Lynch’s behavior has been baffling. It took incredible pressure from the CMC to finally get a statement from the Florida bishops, and even that is tainted with inaccuracies. We desperately need men of courage like Bishop Clemens von Galen who mounted his pulpit in Munster Cathedral on August 3, 1941 and blasted the German euthanasia program that was murdering the helpless. He did not stop it, but most certainly reduced the death toll. Doctors and judges were responsible for that deadly program and the United States is now on the same road they traveled. Unless we vigorously defend the innocent, like Terri Schiavo, and repress these evil judges and the doctors who are complicit with them, we will have euthanasia on a massive scale.
“Think of the police officers surrounding Terri’s bed and the Hospice building to make sure no one interferes with her deliberate premeditated murder. Think of Judge Greer who ordered Terri’s execution and the Supreme Court of Florida and the federal judge who would not stop him. Then consider Bishop von Galen’s words. ‘None of us will be safe.There will be no police to protect the victims, no court of appeal..Woe to mankind, woe to the German people, if we thus transgress God’s commandment, delivered amid thunder and lightning from Mount Sinai and implanted in the heart and conscience of man, Thou shalt not kill.'”
The Catholic Media Coalition stands with Terri and the Schindler family in this terrible trial and offer our prayers. We share their moral outrage at this cruel injustice. We beg all people of good will to storm heaven for redress and to enter the political arena to restore morality to this country which has strayed so far from our founding principles. We urge citizens to continue contacting Governor Jeb Bush begging his intervention. It is time for a showdown between the executive branch of government and a runaway judiciary that has embraced the murder of the innocent.
END

Today was very gut-wrenching. Sonya, the girls, our friend Marina and I frequented the prayer vigil and news conference for Terri Schiavo in Tampa. The bad news is that they pulled her feeding tube. I was with her brother Bobby, my friend Carlos from the National Catholic Register, and some reporter from the New York Times just before it happened. It was really sad. I was on the cell with Pat Madrid when we got the news, and we had to cut the call short because I couldn’t stop crying for Terri. My three-year old daughter was with me and I just could not help but ask, “What if it was her in that bed while Sonya and I were being deprived the right to fight for her life?”
Monsignor said it best when he said that Terri’s parents now know how Our Blessed Mother felt on Good Friday. One thing I should note, and although it pains me to admit this, many of the people there were extremely disappointed with what they saw as a weak response from the Florida bishops. In fact, there was probably more anger expressed against Bishop Lynch than against Terri’s husband and the judge who took his side. Please pray for Terri’s friends and family, and please pray for the Catholic clergy as well.
Nevertheless, there was some good news that gives us hope. First off, Governor Jeb Bush is really concerned and contacted the family to let them know he has his legal team working on trying to open another possibility for his intervention. He is extremely concerned, and not just as a politician. He has been very supportive of the family throughout this ordeal, but he wants his interventions to accomplish as much as possible to save Terri and not simply to be a example of political grandstanding that does nothing. Jeb is a very decent human being. Secondly, and more importantly, the misunderstanding between the Monsignor who is providing pastoral and spiritual support for Terri and her family, and the lawyers for the other side, came to some sort of resolution that restores Monsignor’s pastoral visitation privileges (as well as the visitation privileges of Terri’s family). It still is not ideal, in that the other side has added more restrictions, but barring a miracle, at least Terri won’t die alone — deprived of family and pastoral assistance. Please continue to pray for a miracle, however…
Posted below is my wife’s press release for the Alhambra which we just submitted to the Wanderer and various other Catholic news organizations. Please feel free to pass it along, and please pray:
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***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Catholic Fraternal Organization Requests Prayer For Terri Schiavo
Sonya K. Davey
PINELLAS PARK, Fla (OrderAlhambra.org) – Responding to the court-imposed removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube, the International Order of Alhambra called for prayer in support of Terri. “Following our Holy Father’s intervention, it goes without saying that my prayers and the prayers of the entire Order of Alhambra are with Terri Schiavo and her family,” Edward Fiorella stated.
Fiorella is the Order of Alhambra’s Supreme Commander, which makes him the highest ranking official of this hundred-year-old Catholic fraternal organization. The Alhambra’s primary focus is service to the needs of the mentally and cognitively disabled. “As Catholics belonging to a Catholic organization,” Fiorella continued, “we support the Church’s teaching on the dignity and value of every human life. This includes Terri’s. Therefore, I have asked our members and the members of our ladies’ auxiliary to keep praying for Terri.”
Pete Vere is a canon lawyer who specializes in the rights of mentally and cognitively disabled. He is also a supreme officer of this five-thousand member Catholic fraternal organization. He attended the October 15th prayer vigil held by Terri’s friends and family outside the hospice when doctors removed her feeding tube. “This is just a sad day for every Catholic concerned with the Culture of Life and the rights of those with some form of cognitive or mental disability,” Vere said. “Not only is the state sanctioning involuntary euthanasia, but this sets an awful precedent in which society judges an individual by his or her perceived utility. God created us human beings, not human doings. All human life is valuable in His eyes.”
As Vere prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet with other Catholics gathered at the vigil – many of whom were from the local special needs community – the mood was visibly somber. “We cannot begin to imagine the threat this poses to our special brothers and sisters in Christ,” Vere stated. “I am particularly concerned for those who suffer from more severe forms of cognitive and mental disability. Under this new utilitarian ethic and definition of human life, will their right to life be challenged as well? In terms of mental and cognitive capacity, how far are they removed from Terri?”
“Recent video footage clearly shows Terri positively responding to stimulation from her friends and family,” Vere added. “She smiles, she laughs, and she opens her eyes, turns her head and raises her eyebrows. A number of medical experts assure me that these are not the responses of one who has fallen into a persistent vegetative state as the courts and Terri’s husband maintain.”
Besides medical, ethical and political considerations, Vere also feels that Terri’s situation involves a religious and spiritual dimension. “As members of the Order of Alhambra,” Vere explained, “we must implore the intercession of our patron St. Francis of Assisi. He will obtain for us the grace to stand firm for the culture of life and assert the basic human dignity of our special brothers and sisters in Christ. I invite members of all other Catholic fraternal organizations to make this stand as well. Unless we take action now, Terri will die from starvation and dehydration within the next two weeks. This involves a most cruel and painful death. As my friend Fr. Rob Johansen recently noted, ‘she will die not of any disease, but because a judge has ordered her to die. She will die in spite of ample evidence that her condition is treatable and improvable.’ In short, there is no tomorrow for Terri and others like her. Now is time to pray, contact your legislators and make your voice heard.”
Many of Terri’s friends and family still hope for a miracle. One such individual is Msgr. Thaddeus Malanowski who has provided pastoral care to Terri and her family throughout this difficult ordeal. “It is no coincidence that today is the feast of St. Theresa of Avilla – Terri’s namesake,” Msgr. Malanowski shared with those who had gathered outside the hospice to pray. “Additionally, the Holy Father has scheduled Mother Teresa’s beatification for this Sunday. I spent twenty years as a missionary among Mother Teresa and her sisters. Mother was a great apostle of the Gospel of Life in our time. I have asked that she intercede from above for Terri.” Msgr. Malanowski grasped a relic of Mother Teresa as he shared his hope for a miracle with others who had gathered at the prayer vigil.
For more information on the efforts of Terri’s friends and family to save her life, please visit the following website at: http://www.terrisfight.org
[Sonya K. Davey is the mother of two children, including one in the womb, and a pro-life activist. She possesses a bachelor of science with a concentration in biology. In her spare time she volunteers with the Sultanas, which is the women’s auxiliary of the Order of Alhambra.]