Karol Jozef Wojtyla Has Died

Vatican officials have just made the announcement that Pope John Paul II has died.

The Heart Aches

From terrisfight.org:

Terri's struggle for life has ended this morning.
December 3, 1963 - March 31, 2005

From National Review Online:

But while the public may have agreed with the removal of Schiavo's feeding and hydration tube, apparently there are limits to the public's willingness to tolerate euthanasia — and apparently its defenders recognized these limits. So we saw euphemism after euphemism deployed to cloud the issues.

From President Bush:

Today millions of Americans are saddened by the death of Terri Schaivo. Laura and I extend our condolences to Terri Schaivo's families. I appreciate the example of grace and dignity they have displayed at a difficult time. I urge all those who honor Terri Schaivo to continue to work to build a culture of life, where all Americans are welcomed and valued and protected, especially those who live at the mercy of others. The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in the favor of life....

From Mark Steyn:

One consequence of abortion is that, in designating new life as a matter of ‘choice’, it created a culture where it’s now routine to make judgments about which lives are worth it and which aren’t. Down’s Syndrome? Abort. Cleft palate? Abort. Chinese girl? Abort. It’s foolish to think you can raise entire populations — not to mention generations of doctors — to make self-interested judgments about who lives and who doesn’t and expect them to remain confined to three trimesters. The ‘right to choose’ is now being extended beyond the womb: the step from convenience euthanasia to compulsory euthanasia is a short one.

It is interesting and sad to see how the so-called "mainline" denominations have painstakingly avoided making any pronouncements about the value of human life in light of what has happened to Terri Schiavo. I visited a few mainline websites and entered the search term "Schiavo." Here's what I discovered:

• Presbyterian Church (USA): Exactly one hit, a link to a newsletter which cites Terri Schaivo's case as a reason to establish a "living will."
• United Methodist Church: Several hits, most citing a statement by Jim Winkler, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, saying the Schiavo case highlights "the difficult issues related to quality of life and our own participation in life with life decisions."
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: One hit to a "Bible study/discussion" weekly which asks the question "Do you think it is a sin to let her die? Or to keep her alive? Discuss your response."
• Episcopal Church: One hit, "While the Episcopal Church’s General Convention has not specifically addressed the situation of Terri Schiavo ... several resolutions have been passed regarding end-of-life issues."
• United Church of Christ: Five hits, mostly dealing with the importance of having a "living will."
• Reformed Church in America: No hits.

That's enough for now. Let's pray for Terri's family and for all of those who face the daunting task of preserving human life.

He Is Risen!

The tomb of Christ is but the bed He rested on three days. Easter morn He rose again, The flower of our spring. On Him, arisen from the dead, Must we, though flesh decays, Bestow our faith that when we die Our souls, like His, shall not long lie Forsaken in our tomb. Christ shall, with deep affection, when He sees our soul's affliction, then Redeem us with His pain. In His eternal suffering Shall we find grace enough to bring The seed of faith to bloom. - Nicholas Gordon

He Is Risen! Originally uploaded by eye2eye.