Vindication of Terri Schiavo by Vatican's Clear Answer on Nutrition and Hydration

Earlier News: 

Autopsy results on Terri Schiavo were released on June 15, 2005.  Contents of the report range from restating the obvious to very controversial.  The Schindler family and other experts they had relied on provided commentary on the results:

Physician Who Examined Schiavo for Over 10 Hours is Critical of Autopsy Report

Bobby Schindler on His Sister Terri Schiavo's Starvation, Autopsy

Terri Schiavo's Family Responds to Medical Examiner's Report

Terri Schiavo died on the morning of March 31st after being starved for 13 days.  This grave injustice was clearly judicial homicide.   read more...   Terri's family was even prevented from being with her at the moment of her death.   read more...    Eyewitness Account     Commentary

In spite of U.S. Congressional subpeonas and even a law passed by the U.S. Congress, Judge Greer allowed the removal of Terri's feeding tube on March 18, 2005.   read more...      Commentary

The secular news media has classified the Terri Schiavo case as a "right to die" case, but in fact, Terri's husband is attempting to deny her right to life. Terri Schiavo has serious disabilities resulting from brain injuries suffered in an obscure 1990 incident. Florida Circuit Court Judge George Greer has been the focal point of this case since 1998 when Michael Schiavo filed a motion to have her feeding tube removed. Judge Greer ruled in Michael's favor over the united opposition of Terri's parents and siblings. The feeding tube was removed for six days in October 2003 before legislative action allowed Florida Governor Jeb Bush to order the feeding tube restored.

Judge Greer ignored major evidence in making his ruling that Terri's feeding tube be removed. His justification for removing her feeding tube is the contention that Terri is unconscious and in a "persistent vegetative state" coupled with her husband Michael's claim that she expressed to him her wish not to be kept alive artificially in such a condition. How could Judge Greer ignore videos that show Terri responding to her doctor and her parents? These interactions captured on video show Terri's ability to respond and communicate. She is clearly neither unconscious nor in a "persistent vegetative state". At least 10 doctors testified that Terri would benefit from rehabilitative treatments and that attempts to train her to take food and water by mouth would probably be successful.

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, observed, "One advocate for Terri's death, reacting to the re-insertion of her feeding tube, declared that it is 'simply inhumane and barbaric to interrupt her death process.' But Terri Schindler-Schiavo is not a dying patient. She simply doesn't function at the same level as the rest of us. There was no 'death process' underway until her food and water were taken away. That's what is inhumane and barbaric. And this is a test for all of us, to see if we remember the difference."

Now the legal battle continues over the "constitutionality" of the law that empowered Governor Bush to act. Pray that Terri's right to life will be protected, and that she will finally receive rehabilitative treatments. Do not be misled into signing any advanced directive that would deny you food and water (nutrition and hydration) through a feeding tube if you became seriously disabled. Instead, obtain the Patient Self-Protection document from Illinois Right to Life (312-422-9300), or an equivalent form, to ensure that you will not be starved to death through denial of food and water as "unwanted medical treatment".