Catholic Media Coalition Declares November 30, 2003 "Theresa Schindler Schiavo Day"

Says "there's not much difference between an umbilical cord and a feeding tube"

WASHINGTON, November 17, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic Media Coalition has declared November 30, 2003 "Theresa Schindler Schiavo Day", aiming to bring attention to the plight of the severely disabled Florida woman whose estranged husband continues to seek her death by starvation. Catholic Media Coalition President Mary Ann Kreitzer wrote a letter to Bishop Wilton B. Gregory, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, asking for the assistance of the bishops in the effort.

Kreitzer describes the Schiavo case: "A hitherto unknown Catholic woman, Mrs. Theresa Schindler Schiavo, has become a unifying symbol for the disabled, the abandoned, and those persons for whom society has no use. Terri Schiavo, a 39 year-old Florida woman rendered cognitively disabled from an undetermined cause, embodies the characteristics of persons whose lives appear to lack 'quality,' whom a pagan society would willingly eliminate through court ordered euthanasia."

Kreitzer warns: "The Schiavo case is purposefully being used as a wedge to further the cause of physician assisted suicide and to bring euthanasia within the legal boundaries of the Constitution under the same ruse of privacy rights that are employed to kill the pre-born. After all, there's not much difference between an umbilical cord and a feeding tube, is there? The resemblance between Schindler vs Schiavo and Roe vs Wade is unmistakable."

In her letter Kreitzer begs the bishops for strong leadership saying, "we ask our bishops to publicly enunciate the Church's teaching regarding euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, and the moral requirements of care for all sick and disabled individuals as well as those facing a terminal illness." Stressing the point she notes, "Catholics need to know that food and water, no matter in what form they are delivered, are the God-given right of all persons. The removal of nutrition/hydration with the subsequent intent to cause death, as in the case of Mrs. Schiavo, is strictly forbidden by Catholic moral teaching."

November 9, 2003
The Very Reverend Bishop Wilton B. Gregory
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Your Excellency:

An unprecedented phenomenon in the struggle between the sanctity of life and the culture of death confronts us. A hitherto unknown Catholic woman, Mrs. Theresa Schindler Schiavo, has become a unifying symbol for the disabled, the abandoned, and those persons for whom society has no use. [See www.terrisfight.org] Terri Schiavo, a 39 year-old Florida woman rendered cognitively disabled from an undetermined cause, embodies the characteristics of persons whose lives appear to lack "quality," whom a pagan society would willingly eliminate through court ordered euthanasia.

Theresa Schiavo is alive today for one reason only: she has an intact family. That family, father and mother, brother and sister have fought valiantly to save her life from an adulterous husband who relentlessly seeks her death by the barbaric method of dehydration/starvation. In our society where the family is maligned and constantly under attack, the Schindlers admirably demonstrate what we know a family should be.

The Schiavo case is purposefully being used as a wedge to further the cause of physician assisted suicide and to bring euthanasia within the legal boundaries of the Constitution under the same ruse of privacy rights that are employed to kill the pre-born. After all, there's not much difference between an umbilical cord and a feeding tube, is there? The resemblance between Schindler vs Schiavo and Roe vs Wade is unmistakable.

The instant recognition by a massive grassroots citizenry that the Schiavo case involves the intentional killing of a living, non-terminal, disabled person became so powerful that it awakened a nation. With the media in tow and the Internet on fire, Terri Schiavo became a household name. The outcry against injustice was so great that the governor and legislative body of a highly politically volatile state acted within forty-eight hours to confirm a singular law, i.e. Terri's Law, to prevent the starvation death of Mrs. Schiavo.

The crescendo of Terri's Fight has brought the life issues crashing to the front of many minds. With so much misinformation in the public square, our Catholic people are confused regarding the Church's teaching. Many senior citizens are signing Living Wills that make them vulnerable to being denied food and water like Terri Schiavo. Therefore, we ask our bishops to publicly enunciate the Church's teaching regarding euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, and the moral requirements of care for all sick and disabled individuals as well as those facing a terminal illness. Catholics need to know that food and water, no matter in what form they are delivered, are the God-given right of all persons. The removal of nutrition/hydration with the subsequent intent to cause death, as in the case of Mrs. Schiavo, is strictly forbidden by Catholic moral teaching.

The Terri Schiavo case is now widely known and recognized by many for what it is, the ideological struggle between the spiritual forces who revere the sanctity of life and the utilitarian forces who have scant regard for humanity in its compromised states. Not surprisingly, the liberal media elites have misrepresented the facts of the case. Unfortunately, this bias has not been missing from the statements and writings of certain misguided priests: Fr. Desmond Daly and Fr.Gerald Murphy of the St. Petersburg Diocese, Fr. Kevin O'Rourke, O.P. who was interviewed by the Miami Herald, and Fr. Kevin Wildes, S.J. who appeared on Nightline. All have publicly misstated Church teaching and justified what the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) forbids: "an act or omission (our emphasis) which of itself or by intention causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person." The scandal of these priests publicly advocating Terri's murder by neglect must be undone. The overarching culture of death and societal injustice cuts across all diocesan and state boundaries threatening many, but Terri, a daughter of the Church, is in imminent danger at this moment. So we call upon this body of bishops to make a strong, unequivocal, public defense of her life with all possible haste.

Throughout the years we have been more than disappointed that decisive public action from our bishops has not been forthcoming regarding vital pro-life issues. Its absence has been particularly shocking in the case of Terri Schiavo and other disabled individuals dehydrated to death in the judicial coliseum with a complicit media giving its thumbs down. Where is the bishops' prophetic voice addressing these atrocities? Your startling absence from the public square as the laity battle these monumental injustices is a scandal to all people. Terri and others like her need your vigorous public defense. The situation is urgent! We have named November 30th, the first Sunday of Advent, Theresa Schindler Schiavo Day. We will be doing all we can to raise awareness of her plight among Catholics of the United States. We beg for your assistance. In all sincerity and hope, we pray that at the conclusion of this November 2003 conference you will issue a strong public statement condemning euthanasia and supporting the right to life of Theresa Schindler Schiavo, our sister in Christ.

Assuring you of our constant prayers we remain Sincerely in Christ,

Mary Ann Kreitzer, President Catholic Media Coalition

The newest HANNITY & COLMES transcript added.

"Hannity and Colmes" - Tuesday 10-14-03 --> (Terri's father) Bob Schindler: "MONEY and FOUL PLAY"

"On the Record with Greta" - Friday 10-24-03 --> Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden: "Potassium imbalance UNLIKELY - HEALTHY heart - NECK TRAUMA"

"At Large with Geraldo Rivera" Sunday 10-26-03 --> author Christopher Darden and Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz: "You have eternity to be dead; You only have a limited amount of time to live"

"Hannity and Colmes" - Monday 10-27-03 --> (father) Bob Schindler and (neurologist) Dr. William Hammesfahr: "She absolutely CAN be rehabilitated -clearly NEVER had heart attack -Emergency room: damaged neck"

"On the Record with Greta" - Monday 10-27-03 --> (attorney) Pat Anderson: "BIG FIGHT -attempted STRANGULATION"

"On the Record with Greta" - Tuesday 10-28-03 --> (attorney) Pat Anderson and (brother) Bobby Schindler: "failing marriage -DIVORCE imminent -Potassium explained":

"Hardball with with Chris Matthews" - Wednesday 10-29-03 --> (pro-Terri attorney for ACLJ) Jay Sekulow and (anti-Terri attorney) Joe Tacopina: "Matthews: I think the human issue here is... her eyes flickering... I think she's ALIVE":

"Larry King Live" - Monday 10-27-03 --> (husband) Michael Schiavo[barf alert]: THEY get money from the right wing ACTIVISTS - "Removing somebody's feeding is very painless. It is a very easy way to die" - [later] King: Would you take one[lie detector test]? - No

"The Abrams Report" - Monday 11-03-03 --> (Commentary) almost entirely pro-husband

"O'Reilly Factor" - Wednesday 11-05-03 --> (former "Vegetative State" patient) Kate Adamson: Being starved to death is EXTREMELY painful "It was SHEER torture!" - took her THREE MONTHS of ACUTE REHAB to snap out
Her website says: We stand behind Terri Schindler!

"The Abrams Report" - Thursday 11-06-03 --> (pro-Terri attorney) Pat Anderson and (pro-death attorney) George Felos: "Felos: Michael is a MODEL husband" - Anderson:"Terri got NO REHAB after $award$":

"On the Record with Greta" - Thursday 11-06-03 --> (Gov.Bush's lead attorney) Ken Connor, and followed by a panel discussion:
"Connor: INDEPENDENTLY investigate the circumstances and allegations...
Alred: Perhaps the PARENTS SHOULD care for her

"Radio Interview" --> (Michael Schiavo's so-called 1st girlfriend after Terri's so-called 'collapse')
MS: "[Terri] upsets my WHOLE LIFE with this, and this is ALL her fault."
GIRLFRIEND: "he can be the most INCREDIBLY MEAN person!"

"CBS News Sunday Morning" - Sunday 11-09-03 -->
( Lead-off feature story for this Sunday morning news magazine )

"Hannity and Colmes" - Monday 11-17-03 --> (Terri's parents) Mary and Bob Schindler: "ACQUIRED CEREBRAL PALSY" ... "she's been literally in PRISON for FOUR years"

Join the Terri Schindler Life Ribbon Campaign

"Where there's life, there's hope."
-Terri Schiavo ( arguing with her best friend Diane Meyer ) angrily PROMOTING LIFE FOR the comatose
-Kate Adamson ( former vegetative patient nearly starved to death ) "Its VERY painful... Its SHEER torture!"

-Michael Schiavo (teaching Terri she can NEVER DIVORCE him) minutes before her 'collapse'
-Michael's 1993 girlfriend ("he can be the most INCREDIBLY MEAN person!")
-link to latest TV coverage/interviews Contact FoxNews

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