Like many Catholics and right-to-life activists, I was shocked to read about Michael Schiavo’s recent Catholic wedding to Jody Centonze. As Gudrun Schultz reported on LifeSiteNews.com, “Michael Schiavo, who had his disabled wife Terri killed last March by refusing her food and water, was re-married last Saturday in the Roman Catholic Church of Espiritu Santo in Florida. Schiavo married Jodi Centonze. He [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 to support Oregon legislation that allows physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia opponents are now fearing that the door is now open for other states to allow euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The court ruled that the federal Controlled Substances Act does not allow the U.S. attorney-general to prohibit doctors from prescribing regulated drugs for use in physician-assisted suicides. Justice [...]
Interim Staff The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition remains concerned that a bill to legalize euthanasia and/or assisted suicide is still capable of passing through the newly elected Parliament, even though the Conservative Party won a minority. The election of a Conservative minority may not have changed the configuration of support for euthanasia or assisted suicide enough to create a climate where a bill [...]
Marielle Houle has been given a sentence of three years’ probation for assisting her son Charles Fariala to die. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition will be asking the new minister of justice, once named, to review the Houle’s sentence. EPC said it understands the health condition of Houle, but it recognizes that if there is no deterrent for the act of assisted suicide, [...]
Speaking in the House of Commons on Oct. 31, Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde said that “the Parliament of Canada and its members cannot dither any longer and expect the courts or government to make the necessary changes to the Criminal Code to recognize the right to die with dignity for the people of Quebec and Canada.” There are several things wrong [...]
Tony Gosgnach The Interim A proposal explicitly to deny pharmacists in Ontario a right to refuse to provide services on the basis of religious belief or personal conviction has implications beyond the matters of simply abortifacient medications and birth control. Some pharmacists fear that, under such a stricture, they may eventually be called on to dispense medications for the purposes of euthanasia, [...]
Paul Tuns, Terry Vanderheyden and John-Henry Westen The Interim After the first hour of debate on Bill C-407, a private member’s bill that would permit assisted suicide, pro-life groups were concerned that while the government opposed this particular bill, it might offer its own euthanasia legislation in the next Parliament. The Liberal Ministry of Justice expressed its opposition to many aspects of [...]
John Jalsevac Special to The Interim At a June 14 news conference, a Florida medical examiner released the results of the autopsy performed on Terri Schiavo, after her high-profile court-ordered execution resulted in her death on March 31 of this year. The results of the autopsy were highly anticipated, given many unanswered questions around the controversial case, especially the unknown cause of [...]
Rory Leishman Could the tragic death of Terri Schiavo have occurred in Canada? Most certainly. Under the laws of Ontario, a mentally handicapped patient in her condition can also be sentenced to a slow death by starvation and dehydration. Most Canadians have drawn up “living wills” to prevent some misguided physician from subjecting them to heroic measures that will only prolong the [...]
Alex Schadenberg The Interim The Terri Schindler-Schiavo tragedy has affected North American society forever. Most people who believe in the sanctity of human life would never have thought that a person, who was not otherwise dying, would be allowed by the courts to be dehydrated and starved to death. Another way in which the case has affected society is the media-driven promotion [...]
According to the Associated Press, the Democratic party will make Terri Schiavo an issue in upcoming elections. “This is going to be an issue in 2006 and its going to be an issue in 2008, because we’re going to have an ad with a picture of (House Majority Leader) Tom DeLay saying, ‘Do you want this guy to decide whether you die [...]
Pete Vere The Interim “Bob and I are grateful for all the support Terri received from Canadians,” Mary Schindler shared during our last phone conversation. “We never would have gotten through this without the prayers we received from all over. God gives us the grace to continue when our human strength fails.” Mary paused for a few moments. This was not supposed [...]
Pete Vere The Interim As I submit this piece to The Interim, a flurry of political and legal maneuvering is underway to get Terri Schindler-Schiavo’s feeding tube reinserted. Along with over a million other people, I continue to pray for a miracle. Will Terri still be alive by the time you read this? I don’t know. Only God can save Terri now. [...]
Pete Vere The Interim On Jan. 24, there was a terrible setback for right-to-life and disability advocates. The United States Supreme Court rejected Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s appeal in a case that pitted him against Michael Schiavo. Assisted by his attorney and well-known euthanasia advocate George Felos, Michael is seeking to withdraw the feeding tube currently needed by his wife, Terri Schindler-Schiavo. [...]
Interim Staff On Jan. 28, 78-year-old Marcel Tremblay of Kanata, Ont., committed suicide to gain national attention for his cause of changing current Canadian law concerning assisted suicide. Tremblay drew the media attention to emphasize that his act would be illegal if he needed assistance to carry it out. The media falsely asserted that Tremblay was terminally ill. Tremblay was not terminally [...]