Catholic Priests Inflict Pain and Agony on Millions

How Dare They? Toxic Masculinity in Roman Collars.

Did you hear about the four Catholic priests who attended the Trump rally in Montana right after the fourth of July? My gosh, the temerity of them! The gall! Priests having the hutzpah to go out in public actually dressed as priests inflicting pain and agony on millions and millions of leftist Catholics and their allied bishops and Chancery staffs...

Bishop Gracida: Lay Uprising Essential To Save Church

Continuing with Bishop Gracida's interview by ChurchMilitant.com

GoToBishop Discusses State of the Church in America

Bishop Rene Gracida was recently interviewed by ChurchMilitant.com. Bishop Gracida is retired but is hardly out of the loop. He's what I call a #GoToBishop and he even publishes his own blog which is worth visiting regularly. I once highlighted Bishop Gracida's approach to Canon 915 and public sinners while he was active in his former Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Deadly Landscape Of Abortion & Contraception In The West

Michael Voris is hammering away these days at some incredibly pertinent cultural icons in America. Be sure to check out all his recent videos. 

Contraception has a very dark history that many people are not aware of…during that time period there was a very big push among intellectuals and leaders to legalize contraception: twenties, nineteen thirties and contrary to what feminist would have us believe, that contraception was about freeing women, it had everything to do with population control and eugenics… 

The Grand Protestant Experiment Has Proved A Total Failure

Michael Voris calls it Political Salvation, saying "Protestants need to convert--and they need to be told to convert." Watch the Catholic Bishops cringe.

Catholics Aren't Really Really Good Americans

Good one from Michael Voris.

The leftists are all atheists and progressives and attack from that position, and the "conservatives" don't want to hear any moralizing that upsets their carefully crafted world-economic view — especially when it comes to contraception. And before we go any further: yes, this is all about contraception and Protestant heretical beliefs about it.

Planned Parenthood And Polling Deceptions From Hell

Thank you Michael Voris for saying some things that I'd like to say, only my heart is too sickened by the stories I hear and the pictures I see of the little children ripped and chopped to pieces. I confess I was also disheartened by the poll figures publicized in recent days.

Conference Of Catholic Bishops Has Interdict On Canon 915

The following quote pertains to The United States' Bishops Conference but it is not much of a reach to assume it also applies to the Canadian Bishops. For the Canadian prelates would it surprise anyone to think that there's also a silent interdict on the teaching of contraception?

But, then again, most of the blanket excommunications (very rightfully made) were well before the unleashing of modernist secular humanism in the Church starting in 1958.  It is widely believed that the USCCB presently has a secret, unpublished policy to ostracize any member who enforces Canon 915 against a Catholic politician, for instance.  I would tend to imagine there are also blanket "prohibitions" against interdicting other anti-Catholic organizations - just like Banned Parenthood

Excerpted from:
When Will Bishops Excommunicate Planned Barrenhood Members/Employees/Supporters?

O'Reilly Factor Exposes Betrayal & Incompetence of US Catholic Bishops

Last evening I watched the O'Reilly Factor and at the beginning of the show Bill O'Reilly lead off as usual with his talking points. He revealed that Catholic Bishops were given multiple opportunities over time to come on his show and discuss the traditional case for marriage in light of the same sex "marriage" case before the Supreme Court.

Not one Bishop was willing to come on the program to defend God's plan and purpose for marriage.

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

UPDATE: Check my follow up posting on a subsequent related video by Michael Voris.

Witness The End Of A Civilization

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

Yesterday, President Obama signed his executive LGBT non-discrimination order, barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity among federal contractors.

Dr. Jeff Mirus describes it as the end.

It seems to be our lot to witness the end of a civilization. We can trace its death to the empire of desire. Clearly, this pleasure principle began to affect us in unusually deep ways with the wholesale separation of sex from life in contraception. Since then, it seems, there has been no turning back. Our deadly divorce from reality now seems all but irrevocable.

Coincidence? There’s that all too familiar reference to contraception again.

You mess with God’s design and you could lose an entire civilization. And people ask me why I have such a visceral reaction to a local “pride” parade and why I’m calling on Bishops to repent of their neglect and disobedience.

My children and grandchildren will have to live with the tyranny of the new social order.

Yours will too.

America Needs A Genuine Catholic As President

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

Catholic Bandita declares that she favours GOP Rick Santorum.

I like the way Rick Santorum comes out strong on fiscal issues – see his new book Blue Collar Conservatives: Recommitting to an America That Works – as his lead argument, but then refuses to back down when asked a question on social issues. He recognizes that the Left is waging a culture war and that we have to fight back to defend the First Amendment and the family as the basic unity of society

I think she makes an important argument about the state of the GOP leadership. She recently covered The Case Against Mitt Romney in 2016 and again made the case for Santorum.

Hopefully Santorum will be better positioned for the Presidential run of 2016. Clearly he is the only Catholic politician in the POTUS contest who reflects, more or less, Catholic social teaching and fidelity to Church doctrine. If I felt the urgent calling to travel to the USA to help any one American presidential candidate get elected in 2016, at this stage it would have to be Santorum.

It really all comes down to the common good.

Why Is Judie Brown Of American Life League Hopping Mad?

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

Judie Brown of American Life League is hopping mad. I totally understand why. It’s time for many more Catholics to get hopping mad. It won’t be a day too soon.

So Judy, you’ve caught my attention. I’m interested…and curious. Please tell us what your new strategy will be.

Here’s some of what her email said:

Dear Friend of Life, 

Pro-abortion 'Catholic' politicians like Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry and Andrew Cuomo ought to be ashamed of themselves.

So should their bishops----Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, DC, Cardinal O'Malley of Boston and Cardinal Dolan of New York!

How dare these politicians vote for abortion and Planned Parenthood time after time after time?

And how dare their bishops not discipline them, thereby scandalizing and demoralizing good Catholics?

You bet I'm mad at both. I'm angry for all the babies who die while 'Catholic' politicians and bishops hobnob and dine and issue statements about peace and justice all the while the holocaust of the unborn goes on, directly aided and abetted by their action and inaction.

The blood of the babies is on the hands of the pro-abortion politicians for their sins of commission! The blood of the babies is on the hands of the bishops for their sins of omission!

This isn't that hard, really.

Earlier in my own life, abortion was illegal.

And Catholics who wanted to go into public life as politicians, or those called to the priesthood and were elevated to becoming bishops, knew that abortion was always and everywhere wrong and anyone who voted for it or participated in this crime would be excommunicated, denied communion, and denied all of the Sacraments until they repented of their evil ways!

This is in fact the most merciful way to help sinners change, so that they don't burn in the fires of hell!

At American Life League, we have been fighting every day since 1979 to end abortion. We are scandalized that the American bishops of the Catholic Church are not doing their job! It is within my rights as a Catholic to first ask, and then demand that our shepherds, our bishops take action now!

For decades we complained about Mario Cuomo and Teddy Kennedy, as two of the earliest prominent pro-abortion 'Catholic' politicians. Their horrible track records of voting for abortion and for Planned Parenthood's filthy and evil ways were a matter of public record. Despite that, they were celebrated by their bishops and were ultimately buried with full honors in a Catholic Church, with their respective Cardinals watching on.

And since they weren't corrected, admonished, shunned and excommunicated, their sinful support of abortion and Planned Parenthood is now touted and expanded by their own kids and family members!

A whole new generation of Cuomos and Kennedy 'Catholics' are in public life right now voting for and advocating for abortion and Planned Parenthood!

Had only Ted Kennedy and Andrew Cuomo's bishops acted then, maybe their progeny----and millions more American Catholics----would have said "I don't want to be embarrassed and excommunicated like Mario Cuomo and Ted Kennedy. There must be something seriously wrong with supporting abortion and Planned Parenthood. I'll find out more, and do more, and I'll be pro-life."

But that didn't happen! What a shame! What a wasted opportunity of saving so many souls! How many Catholics were led astray, putting their own immortal souls in jeopardy!

Don't tell me it didn't matter then, or doesn't matter now. In fact, today, if you ask 'sweet, Church-going little old ladies' from Ted Kennedy's home state of Massachusetts about him, they'll tell you what a wonderful man he was. And good-hearted New York Catholics still say what a fine man Mario Cuomo was, so why not vote for his son Andrew?

Since the bishops didn't speak, the people in the pews think abortion and Planned Parenthood are a-ok!

And the only one saying it's not ok is American Life League and a few other voices crying in the wilderness! Enough is enough! It's time for the American bishops to put their mouth where their money is and come out in favor of LIFE!

I love my fellow Americans and my fellow Catholics too much to let these sins that cry out to heaven for justice go on any longer. I have followed biblical precepts of approaching pro-abortion 'Catholic' politicians and bishops quietly and privately first, and then returning with others to persuade and point out the error of their ways.

But they're not listening! So now, we must do like the bible says, and expose them for what they are until they change or get out of the way of righteousness! As Christ Himself counseled us to do:

If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ---- Matthew 18:15-17

In short, all Catholic politicians must vote against abortion and against Planned Parenthood funding, and if they don't, Catholic bishops must act swiftly and publically to explain why what they are doing is wrong and declare them excommunicated, to save all other Catholics from being led astray.

The Heart Of The Problem In The Catholic Church Is Tradition

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

"The Church in America is on her last legs and the Battle Royale is on; the fight for the soul of what's left. On the one side is the small but growing population of Catholics; in fact the only place where there is growth—the tradition minded. Unfortunately they have no power. That's because the protestant-minded, homosexual-friendly, man-centered crowd that took over the Chancery, parishes, seminaries, hospitals, and universities in the 1970’s  has never been dislodged, but they are falling victim to their own success…"

Abortion "Healthcare" Crisis: Corpus Christi Spohn Hospital

Did we really need more evidence of a Crisis in American Catholicism?

Former Bishop of Corpus Christi René Henry Gracida blogged the following entry two days ago:

----------------------------------

Dr. Guy McClung Has Written An Open Letter Addressed To Spohn Hospital In Corpus Christi

April 12, 2014

[Sub-Titled] Nuns of Incarnate Word Sponsor Catholic Hospital that Extends Admit Privileges to Excommunicated Abortionist with Racially Targeted Abortion Business.

In an open letter to Catholic Christus Hospitals of Texas, Dr. Guy McClung of San Antonio has questioned the Hospital’s admitting privileges of excommunicated abortionist Eduardo Aquino and the racially targeted abortion business in Corpus Christi, Texas:

**********************************

Open Letter to Christus Hospitals, Texas

Juxtapose these three Statements. Statement Two follows below regarding the publicly stated Mission, Values, Name, and Symbol of Christus Hospitals. Statement Three below is from Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi regarding its “Birthing Services.”  The other statement, Statement One, is this:

Statement One: 

Christus Spohn Catholic Hospital of Corpus Christi, Texas, a city named for Our Lord, Jesus Christ, allows an excommunicated Catholic abortionist, Eduardo Aquino, to have admitting privileges at the hospital. His abortion business is, intentionally, located in a minority neighborhood—the abortions done there are racially targeted abortions of primarily Mexican-American babies.

Statement Two:

“CHRISTUS HOSPITALS

Our Mission:

WHY WE EXIST.

To extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ

Our Core Values:

WHAT WE BELIEVE IN.

DIGNITY—Respect for the worth of every person, recognition and commitment to the value of diverse individuals and perspectives, and special concern for the poor and underserved.

INTEGRITY—Honesty, justice, and consistency in all relationships.

EXCELLENCE—High standards of service and performance.

COMPASSION—Service in a spirit of empathy, love, and concern.

STEWARDSHIP—Wise and just use of talents and resources in a collaborative manner.

Our Vision:

WHAT WE ARE STRIVING TO DO.

CHRISTUS HEALTH, a Catholic health ministry, will be a leader, a partner and an advocate in the creation of innovative health and wellness solutions that improve the lives of individuals and communities so that all may experience God’s healing presence and love.

Our Name and Symbol:

WHO WE ARE.

CHRISTUS is Latin for “Christ,” and proclaims publicly the core of our mission.

OUR NAME choice also recognizes the heritage of our two congregational sponsors, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in Houston and San Antonio. Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word, the Word of God made flesh. It is, therefore, only fitting that it is in another form of His name that our health ministries are called together.

OUR SYMBOL—Reflects the healing ministry of Jesus Christ – a combination of a medical cross and a religious cross. The flowing banner on the cross is a common symbol of the risen Christ, while the royal purple signifies Christ. The flowing banner also conveys a sense of motion as we move forward into a new era of service to our communities.”

Statement Three: 

“Christus Spohn Birthing Services: You’re Expecting, We Deliver!

“When a baby is on the way, you want everything to be perfect. There are so many decisions and choices that it’s easy to get rattled. Selecting the hospital where your baby will be born is a big decision.

With years of experience and the friendliest nurses and support staff around, CHRISTUS Spohn has been the natural choice for South Texas families and their doctors for almost a century.

We’ve welcomed thousands of healthy babies to South Texas, and we’re ready to make yours a CHRISTUS Spohn baby.

Ask your doctor about CHRISTUS Spohn Birthing Services.

We believe that birth is one of life’s most special events; it is a natural process that can be a positive time of growth. Women are empowered to make health care choices for themselves and their families. Women are entitled to health care with dignity and respect. Birth and parenting occur with greater ease and joy when parents assume their roles with knowledge. Open communication between women and health care providers contributes to a positive experience.

Therefore, we commit ourselves to providing a family-centered atmosphere that supports the choices of women and their families.”

------------------------------

No comparison line by line, word by word, of these three Statements  is needed to demonstrate the utter consummate hypocrisy of allowing abortionist Aquino to have admitting privileges at a Christus Hospital.

Reconsider all of your reasons for allowing this to continue. None of them—whether they be legal, potential liability, or fiscal, whether they be concern for “scandal” or repercussions to your public image or your bottom line, whether they be waiting for Aquino to close the business or retire, or “prudence” however construed, or “waiting for the Courts” to rule on the Texas Laws protecting mothers—are of a value equal to the infinite value, the value to God, of one single preborn baby killed this week by Eduardo Aquino.  If in your view “prudence” dictates that you delay in revoking his privileges, then this mistaken “prudence” equates with the continuation today of the abortion holocaust in the death chambers on Morgan Street and the racially targeted abortions that occur there every week.

And now The Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a unanimous decision, has now upheld the new Texas Law requiring abortions businesses to have an abortionist on staff who has admitting privileges at a local hospital – so there is no more “waiting” for the court’s to decide.

As you undoubtedly are fully aware, thousands of babies have been killed at the Aquino abortion business on Morgan Street in Corpus Christi, which is purposefully located in a minority neighborhood. The overwhelming numbers of these babies have been Mexican-American babies.  You must realize that without the admitting privileges you extend to abortionist Aquino, this racially targeted abortion business would  shut down due to the new Texas law, passed out of concern for the safety and well-being of mothers put at risk by abortion procedures.

If you do not revoke these privileges, these racially targeted abortions will continue.  To be crystal clear, your inaction—the inaction of each person on your Board and each executive in every executive position in your organization, each person with any power or input regarding decision making—results and will result in the abortionist killing more babies, the majority of them Mexican-American. This will give real horrific meaning to the prayer when you stand at the beginning of Mass and say “I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.”

You are the Watchmen of God: “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” Ezekiel 33:6.

Sincerely yours,

Guy McClung, J.D., PhD.

San Antonio TX

[Source]

Corpus Christi Caller Times appears to have a story on this: (subscription required)

http://www.caller.com/news/2014/apr/08/abortion-foe-criticizes-hospital/

RELATED:

Catholic hospitals appear confused about the immorality of sterilization

 

Pseudo-Catholic Thugs Hit Again

Pseudo-Catholicism anyone?

Make no mistake, it’s the dominant reality.

As many of you no doubt already know, Sr. Jane Dominic Laurel has been so traumatized by the thuggery of Catholic parents who are 'hurt' by Church teaching, she's quit all teaching and is taking a sabbatical.

Here's a reality check:

With very little exception, there's not a dime's worth of difference between what was done to Sister Jane and what is done to every priest, teacher, parent in every parish and school in the United States (and Canada) when you attempt to teach moral theology.

Think about it. When was the last time a priest or teacher taught moral theology without a group of thugs calling the Chancery who then tells the priest to never do it again?

It's all been silenced.

This is what they do to us.

Read the rest here.

Saving Terri Schiavo: Florida, March 2005

Nine years ago today, Terri Schiavo died at a hospice in Florida. I was a matter of only yards away when it happened.  I dedicate this posting to Terri.

Published in The Telegram, April 2005                    

 -----------------------------------------------

On Tuesday March 29, 2005 I traveled to Pinellas Park in Florida to stand with others in proclaiming the unjust and immoral killing of Terri Schiavo, a 41 year old woman whose only crime was that she was a disabled person. Less than 24 hours before the airplane left St John’s for Florida I had been experiencing a troubling day but I wasn’t sure why. Just after supper that day I realized that I was much more concerned about Terri’s plight than I had realized. After two weeks or more listening to and watching the in depth media coverage and my own intense inquiries into her circumstances for more than a month, I think it had gradually, and subtly, forced me to a point of decision. Was I just going to let the tragedy happen, let it continue without a murmur? What could I do anyway?  She could die before I even get there, I thought. I’ve left it so late, too late to do anything. And who am I, a Canadian, so far away? As my evening progressed from this point of climax I spent several hours thinking to find a reason not to bring a drink of water to Terri in Florida. But I could find no good reason not to go, no good reason to allow a great travesty of justice to continue without lifting a finger. It was obvious that the countless prayers of thousands of people had not prevailed and my continued silence would accomplish nothing as well. Terri was being starved to death, and all the world was doing was watching. How could this be happening? The whole world seemed powerless to stop it. Well perhaps if I went maybe thousands of others from all other parts of the world would join me in doing the same thing. Maybe that’s how Terri was to be rescued I thought.

What turned the tables irrevocably and finalized my decision that evening to go to Florida was my discovery of the call from the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, which went out into the entire world in 1995 in the form of his encyclical “Evangelium Vitae.” In it he said: “Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection.” He made it clear in his address that Catholics have a moral obligation to actively resist and disobey unjust laws. And the Church had spoken many times very clearly on behalf of Terri Schaivo. The withdrawal of food and water is “an unjust condemnation to death of an innocent person by one of the most inhumane and cruel forms that exist, that of starvation.” Pointing to the questions and doubts surrounding Terri’s medical condition, Cardinal Martino said, “it is a murder which one cannot take part in without become an accomplice.” I was not going to be an accomplice….I fully intended to take a drink of water to Florida directly to Terri Schiavo to alleviate her pain and suffering, or get arrested by police trying to do so.

I arrived in Florida just after noon hour the next day, and within a couple of hours I found myself walking towards the hospice where Terri’s execution was taking place. The first obvious signs of unusual activity were flashing lights from a distance and then an abundance of police activity…sheriffs and officers everywhere, on the sidewalks  and on the street, controlling traffic access to the area approaching the hospice…questioning drivers, checking the interiors and trunks of vehicles. It was like a terrorist zone, except they weren’t keeping the pedestrians away. I was free to follow the sidewalk directly to the hospice entrance, where police cars blocked the entrance and seemed to fill the entire parking lot of the hospice. About 50 meters from the sidewalk was the actual entrance door to the hospice. Again, there were police officers everywhere, along the property perimeter, at every point of access to the hospice. On the green lawn spaces directly in front of hospice property, between sidewalk and street, were fenced off areas where protestors were gathered in various ways or standing with their signs, posters, pictures, and other forms of messages. Some were talking about the latest news regarding Terri….which seemed to come in a constant stream, sometimes small details sometimes exciting stories.  Many were praying, singing and reading scripture. Some were catching a nap on a lawn chair under an umbrella. One or two had been beating a small drum non-stop for days maybe weeks, at about human heart rate, eerily signifying that Terri’s heart was still beating. Directly across the street from the protestors and the police was a huge community of media crews, with their trailers, tents and satellite towers shooting up about 7 or 8 stories high into the air. Every time there was a story in the air, the entire community would come to life, with reporters and camera men scurrying around at break neck speed to catch and report the story to the world.

It’s difficult to describe the impact of all this activity on someone who had never before been a part of such a wide scale, intense passionate protest. Perhaps my first thought was that it was pointless to think that crossing the “line” and getting arrested for bringing my 500ml bottle of Canadian water to Terri was going to make any significant impact on the situation, particularly the effort to rescue her. I had discovered very early that first day that a total of almost 50 people had been similarly arrested up to that point. Maybe some day in retrospect I will wish that I had proceeded directly, without further thought and analysis, to the hospice entrance with Terri’s drink and found myself shortly thereafter in a Florida jail. After all, if everyone had done something as similar or radical as that, wouldn’t that have maybe stirred the nation out of apathy and indifference and led to Terri’s rescue?

There were three main grassy areas in front of the hospice where protesters were gathered. I tended to stay mostly in the area with fellow Catholics who were praying more or less constantly day and night. I was able to meet and to speak with Monsignor Thaddeus Malanowski, Terri’s family priest for the last 5 or more years who was seeing Terri daily, giving updates and encouragement to those who gathered and prayed, and who also arranged to celebrate daily mass right on location. I talked to quite a few people from different areas and a great many, perhaps even a majority, were individuals or couples (at great personal expense and inconvenience) who had traveled from all parts of America (a handful from Canada too!) out of extreme conviction and urgency to speak and to protest in some way on Terri’s behalf. There were other small groups present as well, at least two or three representing disabled persons, and who had brought along severely disabled friends and relatives to protest the starvation of a innocent disabled woman with whom they identified.  Quite honestly I was shocked at how few people were really there to protest what was happening. In fact I would say without fear of being refuted that there were more reporters and police there than protesters. I don’t think at any time I was there I saw more than 200-300 people gathered at once who had come to defend Terri. This to me was unbelievable!! Out of all America, a country of approx. 350 million or more and out of all Canada, with 30 million or more, only a few hundred persons had come to raise their voices. And yet what a noise was heard throughout the world! Imagine if the number had been a thousand, or two thousand or ten thousand! Terri surely would have been saved. Was that asking too much? Where was everyone who said they were concerned? Honestly, it was a heartbreaking experience facing the truth of what was happening.

And then, as quickly as I had arrived, it was all over! Two days later Terri died and once again it was a heartbreaking experience, an outpouring of grief and loss among those who had gone the distance for Terri, with many weeping and trembling souls overtaken also by the shock, disappointment, and betrayal of it all. This was the solemn conclusion to the long battle that the Schindler family had fought to save the life of their daughter Terri.

I realize that a significant number of people will protest about my protest. They see the Terri Schaivo case as simply a personal family matter that everybody else should have simply butted out of. Or they maintain quite simply that it was better to pull the plug and let Terri die because they would want the same thing done to them. They see it as a “quality of life” issue. But to me these arguments only add to the sense of confusion I saw in many people surrounding me those few days outside Terri’s hospice. I heard the voices of concerned persons who were aiming their protest at Michael Schaivo, or at his attorney George Felos, angered by what they believed to be their heartlessness, treachery and hidden agendas. And there were a hundred legitimate reasons to be concerned about just that.  Other concerned Americans who were there focused on the courts as the problem, and saw ‘wicked’ judges as the downfall of Terri, along with the failure of political parties.  

I’m afraid at what I saw in Florida. It was the ugly, subtle, and sinister face of a new ‘culture of death’ overtaking our minds and hearts. Terri was a fellow North American, a fellow human being with special needs. So much information has been disseminated yet it masks the simple truth and overpowers us. I shouldn’t have to, but I remind myself that Terri was not comatose before the killing began, was not on a respirator, and was not unaware of her circumstances. She smiled faintly, she followed people and objects with her eyes and according to the registered nurse who had cared for her, she succeeded in saying a few words. She was a healthy disabled woman who was not terminally ill.

Yet we allowed an estranged husband to insist upon her execution. We allowed a ‘justice’ system to sanction and enforce the execution. We allowed ‘society’ to redefine the essence of our humanity. We said we can measure ourselves by our perceived productivity, by our potential contribution to society. We said that our quality of life can be judged as unworthy of quantity of life. For a number of years now we have been adjusting our thinking of the designation and termination of new life simply in terms of "choice." We have been routinely make judgments about which lives are worth living and which are not. We have declared who is a "burden" at birth, and now it is becoming much easier to decide the nature of "burden" when a "loved one" is dying.

Did Terri’s disability and medical condition negate her essential dignity as a human person? Did Terri’s disability and medical condition limit her fundamental right to life? Was her ‘right’ to a ‘dignified death’ simply another expedient euphemism for her murder? Wasn’t Terri’s dignity (as well as yours and mine) untouchable? After all, isn’t it a gift from God?   I defer once again to the Holy Father, the late John Paul II, whom so many of us praise and admire, yet whom so few of us have the courage to imitate. For him, euthanasia was neither a matter of personal choice nor a matter of private morality. “The value of a man's life cannot be made subordinate to any judgment of its quality expressed by other men. Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.”

My visit to Florida left me with an even stronger conviction to be bolder in discovering, declaring and defending the truth about the wonder and beauty of life, in all its stages. God help each one of us to do our utmost in this regard or face the consequences of a moral catastrophe that will exceed anything we have yet experienced in this generation or previous generations. Questions and concerns raised by Terri’s death move closer and closer to our own doorstep. Soon it will be too late to speak or act.

Eric Alcock

Paradise, NL