Evangelicals and Catholics unite for Terri Schiavo’s Right to Live

A growing alliance has emerged between the Roman Catholic Church and Evangelicals since the Terri Schiavo case surfaced. Schiavo is the brain-damaged woman from Florida whose story has instigated an international debate over whether she should be allowed to live or die.

As the story has become more and more publicised two branches of Christianity – the Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals have been able to unite in the one cause.

Schiavo’s parents are Catholic, and have found huge backing from the Catholic Church, evangelicals as well as legal advisors and a host of religious groups and organisations. Their fight to keep Schiavo alive by re-inserting the feeding tube has now been rejected twice on appeals.

An increasing number of Catholics have been seen in the religious conservative groups that lobby Washington – and the case has even allowed evangelicals to meet with conservative Catholics every week in Virginia.

The New York Times quoted William L. Saunders Jr, who is the director of the Centre for Human Life and Bioethics at the Family Research Council in Washington as saying, "The idea of building a culture that values human life is a Catholic articulation, but it echoes in the hearts of many people, evangelicals and others. It was articulated by John Paul II, who is a great hero to pro-life people, regardless of their church."

Even conservative politicians have sided with keeping Schiavo alive. US President Bush said that the American government should "err on the side of life" in doing everything possible to keep Schiavo alive.

A bright new history seems to be developing between the Catholic and evangelical churches – originally they joined efforts and forces in the anti-abortion movement. Since then their unity has again been seen in the promotion of sexual abstinence education, and in the opposition of stem-cell research and euthanasia.

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano said earlier this week, "Who can judge the dignity and sacredness of the life of a human being, made in the image and likeness of God? Who can decide to pull the plug as if we were talking about a broken or out-of-order household appliance?"

US Appeal courts have now rejected two appeals from Schiavo’s parents to keep her alive, and the case now is likely to move to the Supreme Court for an emergency appeal and final judgement. The Supreme Court has had other opportunities to get involved in the Schiavo case but declined to do so.

Mrs. Schiavo's feeding tube was disconnected last Friday. Her husband, Michael, says she would not want to be kept alive artificially and has fought for years with her parents over whether she should be allowed to die, but her parents, backed by the Catholic, evangelical groups and many other human rights watchdogs have fought desperately to keep her alive.