[Apologetics] Re: The Passion of Terri Schiavo

[Art Kelly]

Thanks, Stephen.

Joe Starrs is a member of my parish and a friend for
many years, going back to when he worked for Paul
Weyrich (a Melkite decaon) at the Free Congress
Foundation.

Art

--- Stephen Korsman <skorsman at theotokos.co.za> wrote:

> The Passion of Terri Schiavo
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Human Life International 
> To: Sally Hall 
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 1:24 AM
> Subject: Emailing: The Passion of Terri Schiavo
> 
> 
> 
>             From Washington Dispatch.com
> 
>             Commentary
>             The Passion of Terri Schiavo
>             Commentary by Joseph Starrs
>             March 25, 2005
> 
> 
> 
> 
>             Reading through the countless news
> stories and e-mails surrounding the tragic saga of
> Terri Schiavo, I found this quote from the Most
> Reverend Thomas Wenski, Bishop of Orlando, Fla.,
> most compelling:
> 
> 
> 
>             "And so, Holy Week, the annual
> remembrance of Jesus' passion and death, begins with
> the Passion of Terri Schiavo. Terri's agony has
> already begun and barring some miracle the
> denouement of Terri's drama will be her death. This
> week in recalling Jesus' Passover from death to life
> we celebrate the fact that the misterium iniquitatis
> [mystery of evil], is overcome through the misterium
> cruces - [mystery of the Cross]. From the cross
> Jesus cried out and his cry is echoed today by all
> those held captive to a world of pain and sin. As
> Terri shares in his passion, she will share in his
> Resurrection. Like Jesus did, Terri Schiavo cries
> out, though with muted voice: 'I thirst!' "
> 
> 
> 
>             Indeed.  If it is true that we are
> witnessing Terri's "denouement" during these holy
> days, then the poignancy is all the more painful and
> gut wrenching. So many of us are numb. We are on a
> first name basis with Terri.  We know her parents,
> Bob and Mary, like they are old friends.  We see the
> pain and fatigue in their eyes. Those of us who are
> parents want to scream at the television, "All they
> want to do is take care of their little girl! Let
> them care for and love her!"
> 
> 
> 
>             Much of the world sees Terri's suffering
> and is repulsed and offended.  Many misguided people
> believe that quietly letting Terri "slip away" is
> the compassionate and honorable thing to do.  The
> chorus of the compassionate cry out, "What kind of
> Neanderthals will insert themselves in this family
> matter? Let Terri's husband do what any loving
> husband would do?" But my question is, how is
> killing ever compassionate?  What is "loving" about
> starving a human being? Are we as a people that far
> gone that we can no longer see beyond ourselves? 
> Since when does starvation offer a painless passing
> to the next world?   Returning Terri to the ones
> that truly care for her -- her parents -- would be
> the "loving" thing to do.  Why is this so
> complicated?   
> 
> 
> 
>             I am the father of five daughters.  They
> speak of Terri in the same way they speak of their
> good friends, Katy or Gabby. They have been praying
> for Terri for weeks and I dread the moment when I
> will have to tell them that she is gone.  Explaining
> that she will be in the arms of a loving God is the
> easy part.  Explaining how and why she got there. I
> don't know what I am going to say.
> 
> 
> 
>             For Terri and her family, countless
> believers offer the sustenance of prayer on their
> behalf.  We can worry about the courts, the laws,
> the lies and everything else later. We can hope and
> pray for a miracle -- we should pray for a miracle. 
> Regardless of what happens we know this: He who
> clutched the wood of the cross, now clutches the
> hands of Terri. He who suffered the painful road to
> Calvary, now eases the suffering of a painful death
> from dehydration and starvation. 
> 
> 
> 
>             While, at this point, Terri's cruel
> death seems imminent, we must ask ourselves what we,
> as a people, will gain from this tragedy. What good
> can come from such a deplorable situation? Most
> importantly it should serve as a wake up call to all
> those individuals who are 'personally' pro-life but
> choose not to 'push their beliefs on other people.'
> That, my friend, is an excuse to stay in the garden
> of apathetic wallflowers. If we don't express our
> beliefs and stand up for them, things like this
> happen. If we don't stand up for the rights of all
> human persons -- no matter their condition, no
> matter their mental state, no matter if they are
> born or preborn - those rights will be equally
> trampled upon until death. We see this happen by the
> thousands on a daily basis to those children lost
> under an abortionist's knife, and now we are seeing
> it happen to Terri Schiavo. I guess the question is,
> who is next?
> 
> 
> 
>             Christ's suffering and ultimate
> sacrifice were cruel and unthinkable, but they
> obviously produced wonderful fruit - eternal
> salvation. As that example teaches us, we must seek
> to find a silver lining in all tragic events. We
> must not let Terri Schiavo's imminent death be in
> vain. This situation should serve as an impetus for
> an awakening of all people. These events should help
> to open people's eyes to the undeniable right to
> life of every human person, regardless of their
> perceived condition. We should channel the pain and
> outrage we feel into constructive actions. If you
> never have before, let these events lead you to get
> involved to help build a true Culture of Life. Let
> Terri's tragedy guide you to make a real difference
> for life. 
> 
> 
> 
>             And so, this week, we mark the final
> excruciating steps on Christ's road to Calvary.  As
> water offered to sooth a parched palate and cracked
> lips is tossed to the ground by the guards, the
> onlookers shrink back amidst the frenzied crowd. The
> sense of helplessness grows by the moment. As water
> is offered to similar cracked lips to a suffering
> woman in Florida, armed guards haul people off in
> handcuffs - even children. Don't shrink back into
> the crowd. Helplessness will only grow if we allow
> it to.
> 
> 
> 
>             Joe Starrs is the director of American
> Life League's Crusade for the Defense of Our
> Catholic Church.  Mr. Starrs studied at and received
> his degree in Catholic theology from Franciscan
> University in Steubenville, Ohio; he did further
> studies at the John Paul II Institute on Marriage
> and Family Studies in Washington, D.C.  
> 
> 
> 
>             © Copyright 2004 The Washington Dispatch
> 
>            
>      
> 


ART KELLY, ATM-S
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