As for my column, which you will find below in English and Spanish, we are approaching the fourth anniversary of the death of Terri Schiavo, who was killed by deliberate, court-sanctioned dehydration. March 31 is “Terri’s Day,” and we urge individuals, families, parishes, dioceses, and pro-life groups to observe that day (see www.TerrisDay.org for details). Please spread the word!
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Blessing the Grave -- Fr. Frank Pavone
I had the privilege of blessing the grave of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, who was murdered on March 31, 2005 by dehydration. Her grave is not far from the place where she died, and where people from around the world had gathered to protest and pray.
Those who visit the gravestone, however, will notice something highly unusual. While on most graves there is an inscription of two dates – when the person was born and when he or she died – on Terri’s there are three. Here’s exactly what the grave says:
Born December 3, 1963
Departed this Earth February 25, 1990
At Peace March 31, 2005
The whole world knows that she died on March 31, 2005. National and global media were present at the scene for days, covering every detail. Media were present again when I preached at her funeral mass. We know when she died.
But her gravestone has become a pulpit for the euthanasia movement. Those who killed her are now using her grave as a platform for their twisted ideology. What they are trying to say is that once her brain was injured in 1990 and she was no longer functioning like most of us, she wasn’t one of us anymore. She “departed this earth.”
This is actually a variation on an ancient heresy, which says that we are really spirits inhabiting a body. Terri couldn’t communicate normally. So, her “spirit” must have left her. The body was just a shell left behind. Those who believe she really “departed this earth” in 1990 can therefore pretend it was OK to kill her in 2005. After all, it wasn’t really her. She was already gone.
This is heresy, because Christianity teaches that we are a unity of body and soul, not simply a soul “using” a body. The body matters. What we do to the body, we do to the person.
Moreover, the gravestone inscription is a deep insult to all who are disabled, and to all those who love and care for them. Should they be considered already dead, too? Are we just wasting our time caring for them? Euthanasia advocates would have us think so.
A recent news story about a disabled unborn child quoted one as saying, “There’s no human life there.” Isn’t that the same idea? They think the baby has already “departed this earth,” so they don’t hesitate to abort the body.
As I blessed Terri’s grave, I also prayed that God’s people would be kept safe from this falsehood. And I recalled being in Terri’s room the day she died. I remembered her face, dehydrated from not having had a drop of water in two weeks. I recalled seeing the flowers, inches away, on her night table. They were immersed in water. And as I left the grave, I gave a final glance to the vase of flowers that was standing by the stone.
This column can be found online at http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2009/09-01-26blessinggrave.htm
Fr. Frank's columns are podcast. See http://www.priestsforlife.org/podcast
Comments on this column? Priests for Life, PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314; mailto:mail@priestsforlife.org; Phone: 718-980-4400; Fax: 718-980-6515
Bendiciendo la Tumba
Yo tuve el privilegio de bendecir la tumba de Terri Schindler-Schiavo, quien fue asesinada por deshidratación el 31 de marzo del 2005. Su sepulcro no queda lejos del lugar donde murió, donde gente de todo el mundo se reunió para protestar y rezar.
Quienes lo visitan notarán algo muy inusual en la lápida. Mientras que en la mayoría de los tumbas hay una inscripción con dos fechas, la del nacimiento y la de fallecimiento, en la de Terri hay tres. He aquí exactamente lo que dice la tumba:
Nació el 3 de diciembre de 1963
Dejó este mundo el 25 de febrero de 1990
En paz el 31 de marzo del 2005
Todo el mundo sabe que ella murió el 31 de marzo del 2005. Los medios nacionales de comunicación y los globales estuvieron presentes en la escena durante días, cubriendo cada detalle. Los medios también estuvieron presentes cuando prediqué en su funeral. Sabemos cuando murió.
Pero su lápida se ha convertido en un púlpito para el movimiento a favor de la eutanasia. Quienes la mataron ahora usan su tumba como una plataforma para su ideología perversa. Lo que están tratando de decir es que una vez que su cerebro se dañó en 1990 y dejó de funcionar como la mayoría de nosotros, dejó de ser una de nosotros. “Dejó este mundo.”
Verdaderamente, esta es una variación de una antigua herejía, que dice que realmente somos espíritus habitando en un cuerpo. Terri no se podía comunicar normalmente. Luego, su “espíritu” debía haberla abandonado. El cuerpo era sólo un caparazón que quedó. Quienes creen que realmente “dejó este mundo” en 1990 pretenden, por lo tanto, que estuvo bien matarla en el 2005. Después de todo, no era realmente ella. Ya se había ido.
Esto es una herejía, porque el cristianismo enseña que somos una unidad de cuerpo y alma, no simplemente un alma “usando” un cuerpo. El cuerpo importa. Lo que le hacemos al cuerpo, se lo hacemos a la persona.
Más aún, la inscripción en la lápida es un insulto a todos los discapacitados y a todos aquellos que los aman y cuidan de ellos. ¿Debe considerarse también que ya han muerto? ¿Estamos perdiendo el tiempo al cuidarlos? Los promotores de la eutanasia quieren que pensemos eso.
Una noticia reciente sobre un niño por nacer discapacitado citaba a alguien que decía: “Allí no hay vida humana.” ¿No es acaso la misma idea? Creen que el bebé ya “dejó la tierra,” por eso no dudan en abortar al cuerpo.
Mientras bendecía la tumba de Terri, también recé para que el pueblo de Dios fuera protegido de esta mentira. Me acordé de haber estado en el cuarto de Terri el día que murió. Recordé su cara, deshidratada porque no había tomado ni una gota de agua en dos semanas. Recordé haber visto unas flores, apenas a unas pulgadas de distancia, sobre su mesita de noche. Estaban inmersas en agua. Y cuando me alejaba de la tumba, le di una última mirada al recipiente con flores que estaba junto a la tumba.
Esta columna se puede encontrar en la pagina de Internet http://www.priestsforlife.org/spanish/09-01-26span.htm
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Let me also provide you with the upcoming schedules for our own TV shows and Radio programming:
Hear us on EWTN radio on Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo. Fr. Frank Pavone is her guest every Wednesday at 9:30am ET and Janet Morana is her guest every Friday at 9:10am ET. For radio station information and to listen to the live show on the internet, go to www.avemariaradio.net
Defending Life: Watch on EWTN every Friday at 10pm ET and Saturday at 2:30am ET. Listen on EWTN radio every Friday at 1am ET, Saturday at 6:30pm ET and Sunday at 5am ET. For more information or to listen online go to www.ewtn.com
February 6-8: The Abortion Child Abuse Connection. Why has child abuse skyrocketed in America? In this program Dr. Philip Ney explores the mutual relationship between abortion and child abuse/neglect.
February 13-15: Abortion Survivor Syndrome. Our youth carry a heavy burden - abortion survivor syndrome. There are various types of survivors. Dr. Philip Ney explores some of the symptoms and the road to healing.
Gospel of Life: The shows air on "Angel One" Channel 101 on Sky Angel IPTV and channel 262 on Dish Network every Wednesday at 11:30pm. It also airs on Catholic Familyland (www.familyland.tv) - Sunday at 1am, Monday at 9am, Wednesday at 3:30am and Thursday at 11:30 pm. (All Times Eastern). Listen to Gospel of Life episodes online at www.gospeloflife.com
Week of February 1: Ask Fr. Frank. Fr. Frank answers some common questions we have received from our viewers.
Week of February 8: Reflections from Alveda King, Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please tune in and spread the word! In fact, you can help us – and your whole parish -- by asking your pastor to place in the parish bulletin an announcement about our TV shows. Thanks in advance!
Blessings and prayers,
Fr. Frank Pavone
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Blessing the Grave -- Fr. Frank Pavone
I had the privilege of blessing the grave of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, who was murdered on March 31, 2005 by dehydration. Her grave is not far from the place where she died, and where people from around the world had gathered to protest and pray.
Those who visit the gravestone, however, will notice something highly unusual. While on most graves there is an inscription of two dates – when the person was born and when he or she died – on Terri’s there are three. Here’s exactly what the grave says:
Born December 3, 1963
Departed this Earth February 25, 1990
At Peace March 31, 2005
The whole world knows that she died on March 31, 2005. National and global media were present at the scene for days, covering every detail. Media were present again when I preached at her funeral mass. We know when she died.
But her gravestone has become a pulpit for the euthanasia movement. Those who killed her are now using her grave as a platform for their twisted ideology. What they are trying to say is that once her brain was injured in 1990 and she was no longer functioning like most of us, she wasn’t one of us anymore. She “departed this earth.”
This is actually a variation on an ancient heresy, which says that we are really spirits inhabiting a body. Terri couldn’t communicate normally. So, her “spirit” must have left her. The body was just a shell left behind. Those who believe she really “departed this earth” in 1990 can therefore pretend it was OK to kill her in 2005. After all, it wasn’t really her. She was already gone.
This is heresy, because Christianity teaches that we are a unity of body and soul, not simply a soul “using” a body. The body matters. What we do to the body, we do to the person.
Moreover, the gravestone inscription is a deep insult to all who are disabled, and to all those who love and care for them. Should they be considered already dead, too? Are we just wasting our time caring for them? Euthanasia advocates would have us think so.
A recent news story about a disabled unborn child quoted one as saying, “There’s no human life there.” Isn’t that the same idea? They think the baby has already “departed this earth,” so they don’t hesitate to abort the body.
As I blessed Terri’s grave, I also prayed that God’s people would be kept safe from this falsehood. And I recalled being in Terri’s room the day she died. I remembered her face, dehydrated from not having had a drop of water in two weeks. I recalled seeing the flowers, inches away, on her night table. They were immersed in water. And as I left the grave, I gave a final glance to the vase of flowers that was standing by the stone.
This column can be found online at http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2009/09-01-26blessinggrave.htm
Fr. Frank's columns are podcast. See http://www.priestsforlife.org/podcast
Comments on this column? Priests for Life, PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314; mailto:mail@priestsforlife.org; Phone: 718-980-4400; Fax: 718-980-6515
Bendiciendo la Tumba
Yo tuve el privilegio de bendecir la tumba de Terri Schindler-Schiavo, quien fue asesinada por deshidratación el 31 de marzo del 2005. Su sepulcro no queda lejos del lugar donde murió, donde gente de todo el mundo se reunió para protestar y rezar.
Quienes lo visitan notarán algo muy inusual en la lápida. Mientras que en la mayoría de los tumbas hay una inscripción con dos fechas, la del nacimiento y la de fallecimiento, en la de Terri hay tres. He aquí exactamente lo que dice la tumba:
Nació el 3 de diciembre de 1963
Dejó este mundo el 25 de febrero de 1990
En paz el 31 de marzo del 2005
Todo el mundo sabe que ella murió el 31 de marzo del 2005. Los medios nacionales de comunicación y los globales estuvieron presentes en la escena durante días, cubriendo cada detalle. Los medios también estuvieron presentes cuando prediqué en su funeral. Sabemos cuando murió.
Pero su lápida se ha convertido en un púlpito para el movimiento a favor de la eutanasia. Quienes la mataron ahora usan su tumba como una plataforma para su ideología perversa. Lo que están tratando de decir es que una vez que su cerebro se dañó en 1990 y dejó de funcionar como la mayoría de nosotros, dejó de ser una de nosotros. “Dejó este mundo.”
Verdaderamente, esta es una variación de una antigua herejía, que dice que realmente somos espíritus habitando en un cuerpo. Terri no se podía comunicar normalmente. Luego, su “espíritu” debía haberla abandonado. El cuerpo era sólo un caparazón que quedó. Quienes creen que realmente “dejó este mundo” en 1990 pretenden, por lo tanto, que estuvo bien matarla en el 2005. Después de todo, no era realmente ella. Ya se había ido.
Esto es una herejía, porque el cristianismo enseña que somos una unidad de cuerpo y alma, no simplemente un alma “usando” un cuerpo. El cuerpo importa. Lo que le hacemos al cuerpo, se lo hacemos a la persona.
Más aún, la inscripción en la lápida es un insulto a todos los discapacitados y a todos aquellos que los aman y cuidan de ellos. ¿Debe considerarse también que ya han muerto? ¿Estamos perdiendo el tiempo al cuidarlos? Los promotores de la eutanasia quieren que pensemos eso.
Una noticia reciente sobre un niño por nacer discapacitado citaba a alguien que decía: “Allí no hay vida humana.” ¿No es acaso la misma idea? Creen que el bebé ya “dejó la tierra,” por eso no dudan en abortar al cuerpo.
Mientras bendecía la tumba de Terri, también recé para que el pueblo de Dios fuera protegido de esta mentira. Me acordé de haber estado en el cuarto de Terri el día que murió. Recordé su cara, deshidratada porque no había tomado ni una gota de agua en dos semanas. Recordé haber visto unas flores, apenas a unas pulgadas de distancia, sobre su mesita de noche. Estaban inmersas en agua. Y cuando me alejaba de la tumba, le di una última mirada al recipiente con flores que estaba junto a la tumba.
Esta columna se puede encontrar en la pagina de Internet http://www.priestsforlife.org/spanish/09-01-26span.htm
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