extreme Catholic 

Piety meets stream of consciousness writing.

I think she's gotten too smart for me to follow.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 2:17 PM   Permalink  

A note to people who need to answer the point that Terri was on "life support", "machine", "extreme measures", etc.

"Life support" is used to confuse people. The mechanical replacement of a heart, lung, kidney, liver is used to intervene in the process of dying. A person without a functioning heart, lung, kidney, liver, etc. will certainly die. Such technology was not available 100 years ago.

Assisting the non-dying disabled in eating and drinking is something that has taken place since ancient times. If Terri was on "life support" then we are all on "life support" If I deny to you what what denied to Terri, you will die. If I provide to you what was provided to Terri and even if you don't eat or drink anything else, you will live.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:48 AM   Permalink  

As Sean said, nearly all of what was determined to be "clear and convincing" adverse to the Schindlers in the court of Judge George Greer wasn't in his opinion, my opinion, and where the public was informed and not lied to, the opinion of the public.

The only thing that can be done do for Terri is for her to be given a respectful burial which has not happened since her ashes went into Michael Schiavo's possession on April 2.

For each of us personally, to have detailed instructions in the form of a living will.

For public policy, as Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and Ron Kuby urged that people who become disabled without written instructions and where there is disagreement within the family over the medical care, that if there is to be doubt over it, the government has an interest in protecting the right to life by providing nutrition and hyrdration.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:23 AM   Permalink  

An evangelical Christian talk show host who questioned the beliefs of the Catholic church and entertained a caller's question about whether the late Pope John Paul II would go to heaven has been fired.

Marty Minto, 39, a senior pastor at a New Castle church, was fired Friday after three years as a host on WORD-FM in Pittsburgh. He said he was told that he was alienating listeners.

"As far as I'm concerned, I was doing what I've always done on the radio -- look at events around the world from a biblical perspective. I've always been willing to talk about controversial subjects," said Minto, who has had shows in Albany, N.Y., Denver and Phoenix.

Last week, Minto questioned some of the Catholic church's beliefs, such as purgatory, and fielded a question from a caller who asked whether the pope would go to heaven. Many evangelical Christians believe that someone must be a "born-again" believer to enter heaven.

Minto, who is also senior pastor of the 100-member Turning Point Community Church, said he told the caller that whether someone was born-again was personal and "between an individual and the Creator."

Chuck Gratner, general manager of WORD-FM, didn't dispute Minto's description and said he was let go because of differences in how he conducted his show.

"WORD-FM needs to function in this city in support of the entire church -- that means everybody -- and not focus on denominational issues," Gratner said.

Then again, I've heard of Christian radio hosts being fired for being insufficiently hostile or skeptical towards the Catholic faith.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:57 PM   Permalink  

eBay: Auctioned communion wafer didn't violate policy : Associated Press SIOUX CITY, Iowa A spokesman for eBay says a Holy Communion wafer allegedly blessed by Pope John Paul the Second didn't violate the online site's auction policy of what can be posted. The wafer, reportedly blessed by the late pope during a Mass in Rome in 1998, was offered on Saturday by a seller in the northwest Iowa town of Sloan. It sold on Monday for two-thousand dollars to a buyer in California. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City was upset by the offering. Hani Durzy of eBay says the company's basic policy is if it's illegal to sell off of eBay, it can't be sold on eBay. The Holy Communion wafer, or Eucharist, is the most sacred item in the Roman Catholicism. It is believed to be the actual body of Christ, a sacrament instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper.

This excuse really insults everyone's intelligence because we all know that eBay suspends auctions for all kinds of reasons -- including very petty and incomprensible ones. It is not true that eBay allows anything legal to be sold on eBay.

The Catholic League has a press release:

After a consecrated Host was recently auctioned online by eBay (it has since been sold, purportedly to a Knights of Columbus member who bought it out of respect), the Catholic League was deluged with complaints. The policy that eBay cited as a reason for not pulling the item was the subject of the following letter that Catholic League president William Donohue sent to the company today:

As president of the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization, I was disturbed to learn that eBay would unnecessarily offend 63 million Catholics in the U.S., and 1.1 billion worldwide, by selling a consecrated Host online. To Catholics, the Eucharist is the center of our religion, worthy of the utmost reverence. While we don’t expect non-Catholics to maintain the same perspective, we do expect them to be respectful of our sentiments. That is why the decision not to withdraw this item is so disturbing.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:32 PM   Permalink  

Jury may hear of priest's alleged tie to Hudson killings : Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The alleged involvement of a Catholic priest in the 2002 slayings of two funeral home workers in Hudson, Wis., soon may be headed to Wisconsin's version of a grand jury.

The St. Croix County district attorney is likely to review evidence concerning the deaths in the next few weeks and will have various options, including convening a hearing on the case, according to a source familiar with it.

The Rev. Ryan Erickson, 31, who committed suicide in December, is believed to be the chief suspect in the Feb. 5, 2002, slayings.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:54 PM   Permalink  

(near the end) The Schindlers said they have not heard from Michael Schiavo on his plans to bury his wife's ashes in his family's plot in Pennsylvania, the state where Terri Schiavo grew up and where the couple met.

Michael Schiavo is under a court order to notify the parents of his plans. His attorney, George Felos, did not return telephone calls to his office Tuesday to comment on his client's plans or statements made during the service.

I've read press accounts and blogs that are cheerleading Michael Schiavo's cruelty towards the Schindler's. Perhaps Terri's ashes will be lost and not buried with respect and dignity.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:18 AM   Permalink  

This graphic and the larger one you can click on

Blogger credit to Kevin Miller, a contributor to the excellent Heart Mind Strength group blog who, in turn, credits a friend.

Welcome to all you Wikipedians who might be curious about a wiki editor who is insisting on balance in the article in preparation on Terri Schiavo.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:31 AM   Permalink  

Please let me know if I missed anything.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:52 AM   Permalink  

The New York Public Library copy of The Shoes of the Fisherman is in my temporary possession.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 3:43 PM   Permalink  

Now that the body of the Pope has been laid in a tomb in the company of the other successors of the apostles, I think about the mortal remains of Terri Schiavo.

Terri died on March 31 and Michael Schiavo was given her ashes on April 1. His disclosed his intentions to hold a service and bury her ashes. He was required by the court to inform the Schindler family of this.

In 8 days, there's been no word in the media of when this service and burial will take place. I'm wondering if it ever will.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 5:13 PM   Permalink