Florida bishops express continued concern about fate of Terri Schiavo

Published: 2005-03-01

CLEARWATER, Fla. CNS) -- With a March 18 court-imposed deadline for removal of the feeding tube that keeps Terri Schindler Schiavo alive, the Catholic bishops of Florida reiterated their plea that the brain-damaged Florida woman will continue "to receive all treatment and care that will be of benefit to her." In a Feb. 28 statement of "continued concerns for Terri Schiavo" released by the Florida Catholic Conference, the eight bishops said they recognize that questions about her prognosis and her wishes persist, raising doubt about what she would truly want at this point in her life. "No longer able to speak on her own behalf, Mrs. Schiavo is a defenseless human being with inherent dignity, deserving of our respect, care and concern," the bishops said. "Her plight dramatizes one of the most critical questions we face: To be a truly human society, how should we care for those we may not be able to cure?" Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg, the diocese in which Schiavo resides, asked that one last effort be made for mediation.

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