Via my e-mail from Father Frank Pavone
FYI. For anyone who was wondering (as we were) how it was for Terri in her
>final hours and if there was a priest there, this account by Fr. Pavone is
>most uplifting.
>
>Priests for Life wrote:
>
>>April 4, 2005
>>
>>My dear friends of Priests for Life,
>>
>>What a week we have just been through! United in faith and in the pro-life
>>cause, we are grieving the murder of Terri Schiavo. Likewise, whether
>>Roman Catholic or not, we are mourning the passing of one of the greatest
>>voices for the right to life, Pope John Paul II.
>>
>>This is one of those times when I’m especially grateful to all of you for
>>your fellowship, and wanted to share a few reflections on what has
>>happened in these days.
>>
>>First of all, thank God we are at the height of the Easter Season! Last
>>week was the “Octave of Easter,” that is, a special eight-day period which
>>is all considered by the Church as “Easter Day,” the Day of the
>>Resurrection! Death, in all its forms, has been conquered by Christ! We
>>are called to rejoice in that victory and keep it uppermost in our minds
>>as we battle the Culture of Death. Isn’t it amazing that both Terri and
>>Pope John Paul II died so close to each other, and within the Easter
>>celebration! Is God speaking to us? He certainly is!
>>
>>You may have seen on the news that I was at Terri Schiavo’s bedside during
>>the last 14 hours of her earthly life, right up until five minutes before
>>her death. During that time with Terri, joined by her brother and sister,
>>I expressed your care, concern, and prayers. I told Terri over and over
>>that she had many friends around the country, many people who were praying
>>for her and were on her side. I had also told her the same things during
>>my visits to her in the months before her feeding tube was removed, and am
>>convinced she understood.
>>
>>Terri’s brother, sister, and I read Scripture, prayed the rosary, and had
>>times of silence during Terri’s last hours. We held her hand and stroked
>>her head. During all that time, there was always at least one police
>>officer in the room, watching our every move, and several more immediately
>>outside the door. During those hours, one of the things I did was to
>>chant, in Latin, some of the most ancient hymns of the Church. One of the
>>chants I used was the “Victimae Paschali Laudis,” which is the ancient
>>proclamation of the resurrection of Christ. There, as I saw before my eyes
>>the deadly work of the Culture of Death, I proclaimed the victory of life.
>>”Life and death were locked in a wondrous struggle,” the hymn declares.
>>”Life’s Captain died, but now lives and reigns forevermore!”
>>
>>As you may have also seen, those who killed Terri were quite angry that I
>>said so. The night before she died, I said to the media that her estranged
>>husband Michael, his attorney Mr. Felos, and Judge Greer were murderers. I
>>also pointed out, that night and the next morning, that contrary to Felos’
>>description, Terri’s death was not at all peaceful and beautiful. It was,
>>on the contrary, quite horrifying. She was dehydrating to death, and
>>looked it. Her face had an expression of dread and sorrow. In my 16 years
>>as a priest, I never saw anything like it before.
>>
>>After I said these things, Mr. Felos and others in sympathy with him began
>>attacking me in the press and before the cameras. Some news outlets began
>>making a story out of their attacks and said I was “fanning the flames” of
>>enmity and hatred.
>>
>>Actually, there’s a simple reason why they are so angry with me. They had
>>hoped that they could present Terri’s death as a merciful and gentle act.
>>My words took the veil of euphemism away, calling this a killing, and
>>giving eyewitness testimony to the fact that it was anything but gentle.
>>Mr. Felos is a euthanasia advocate, and like all such advocates, he needs
>>to manipulate the language, to sell death in an attractive package. Here
>>he and his friends had a great opportunity to do so. But a priest, seeing
>>their work close-up and then telling the world about it, just didn’t fit
>>into their plans.
>>
>>One of the attacks they made was that a “spiritual person” like a priest
>>should be speaking words of compassion and understanding, instead of
>>venom. But compassion demands truth. A priest is also a prophet, and if he
>>cannot cry out against evil, then he cannot bring about reconciliation. If
>>there is going to be any healing between these families or in this nation,
>>it must start with repentance on the part of those who murdered Terri and
>>now try to cover it up with flowery language.
>>
>>Another aspect of the Terri Schiavo tragedy is that many people
>>misunderstand its cause and therefore its solution. They think the problem
>>was that Terri did not leave any written instructions about whether she
>>wanted to be kept alive. In order to avoid any such problem in their own
>>lives, they are now told that they have to draw up a “living will.” This
>>is both erroneous and dangerous.
>>
>>Terri’s case is not about the withdrawal of life-saving medical treatment,
>>but rather about the killing of a healthy person whose life some regarded
>>as worthless. Terri was not dying, was not on life support, and did not
>>have any terminal illness. Because some thought she would not want to live
>>with her disability, they insisted on introducing the cause of death,
>>namely, dehydration.
>>
>>So what good is a living will supposed to accomplish, aside from saying,
>>”Please don’t argue about killing me, just kill me?”
>>
>>The danger in our culture is not that we will be over-treated, but rather
>>that we will be under-treated. We already have the right to refuse medical
>>treatment. What we run the risk of losing is the right to receive the most
>>basic humane care — like food and water — in the event we have a
>>disability.
>>
>>Our culture also promotes the idea that as long as we say we want to die,
>>we have the right to do so. But we have a basic obligation to preserve our
>>own life. A person who leaves clear instructions that they don’t want to
>>be fed is breaking the moral law by essentially requesting suicide.
>>
>>If you want to make plans for your future health care, do not do so by
>>trying to predict the future. The reason you cannot indicate today what
>>medical treatments you do or don’t want tomorrow is that you don’t know
>>what medical condition you will have tomorrow, nor what treatments will be
>>available to give you the help you need. Living wills try to predict the
>>future, and people can argue over the interpretation of a piece of paper
>>just as much as they argue about what they claim someone said in private.
>>
>>The better solution is to appoint a health care proxy, who is authorized
>>to speak for you if you are in a condition in which you cannot speak for
>>yourself. This should be a person who knows your beliefs and values, and
>>with whom you discuss these matters in detail. In case you cannot speak
>>for yourself, your proxy can ask all the necessary questions of your
>>doctors and clergy, and make an assessment when all the details of your
>>condition and medical needs are actually known. That’s much safer than
>>predicting the future. Appointing a health care proxy in a way that
>>safeguards your right to life is easy. In fact, the National Right to Life
>>Committee has designed a “Will to Live,” which can be found at
>>www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/willtolive/index.html and which I recommend
>>highly.
>>
>>Today, my friends, I will fly back to Florida to be with Terri’s mom, dad,
>>and siblings and to preach at the funeral mass that will be held for her
>>at 7pm this evening. I will again convey to them your best wishes, and if
>>you want to relay a personal message to them, you can send it to
>>terri@priestsforlife.org and I will pass it along personally.
>>
>>Meanwhile, as we commend both Terri and the Pope to the Lord, and are
>>reminded of the equal value of every life, no matter how prominent or
>>obscure, healthy or sick. I will be writing more about the issues that
>>have arisen in Terri’s case, and about the teachings of Pope John Paul II
>>on these matters. You’ll be able to keep up on developments by checking in
>>with us at www.priestsforlife.org. Meanwhile, be assured of my prayers.
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>Fr. Frank Pavone
>>National Director, Priests for Life
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