Florida Archbishop statement

"God in His mercy has taken Terri Schiavo to Himself. May she enjoy the peace with Him forever.

"May God have mercy on those responsible for her death by starvation and may God reinvigorate all who respect life to continue to stand courageously for this justice issue.

"In the months and years ahead those who are sincere about respecting life will have a chance to demonstrate that by enacting laws to prevent the starvation of any disadvantaged person in the future. Laws should protect life from conception in the womb to natural death, without exception.

"All of us should carefully arrange to have a living will so as to prevent confusion in the future. A living will, however, must not contain anything that is contrary to life. Artificial means is never required morally to sustain life. Food and hydration, regardless of the tube, is not considered artificial except when it worsens the individual’s medical condition or when death is imminent. Morally we may not ask in the living will to have water and food denied to us since this is starvation, a deliberate mutilation of the body.

"We continue to pray that our great country will responsibly address the many legal and moral-ethical issues prompted by Terri Schiavo’s care. And may we be determined in cases of uncertainty, scientifically and/or medically, to choose the safer course on behalf of life."
Archbishop John C. Favalora, Archbishop of Miami