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"Be Not Afraid!"

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Terri Schiavo, 41, died Thursday (March 31, 2005), 13 days after the removal of the feeding tube that had kept her alive since 1990. She had suffered severe brain damage when her heart temporarily stopped because of a chemical imbalance, possibly because of an eating disorder.(MSNBC News)

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul II, who headed the Roman Catholic Church for 26 years, died on Saturday evening (Apr 2nd, 2005), the Vatican said in a statement. The news was immediately announced to around 60,000 gathered in St Peter's Square and was met with a long applause, an Italian sign of respect. Bells tolled and many people wept openly.

Those two different news recently I've heard from tv made me silently in tears. I was very saddened to see Pope John Paul II and Terri Schiavo, both Catholics, were dying in pain. After watching news closely for days, I found the parallel story between the Holy Father's death and Schiavo's death is such an interesting subject to talk about. They were both passed away under different circumstances when the end came by, but they were bit similar for the sake of public in making news channel as favorites to watch on.


As we most know, Pope was a famous-remarkable figure who was not only known as a Catholic leader, but mostly to say he is the hero of the world to promote Peace, Love & Freedom. Terri Schiavo, however, was famous locally in America because her case brought out controversial issue in public opinion as well as a political trick. Terri had suffered severe brain damage for 16 years which then turned her life pathetically to be a persistent vegetative state, meaning she was not conscious, unable doing anything, kept alive with feeding tube and had no chance of recovery.


I try to draw a line to view some differences between Pope and Terri shortly after their deaths, though they had no real connection each other.

* Pope died in peace with the serenity and respect. Many pilgrims outside the pope's apartment window and people around the world, including myself, prayed together for his ailing condition. They showed how deep their love to Pope, how sad to lose the Pope, how sad to miss the figure of beloved father.
On the other hand, Terri died with angry protests outside hospital and with the battles between her husband, Michael Schiavo, and her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler who had fought to keep her alive.


* Pope died with honor. Nobody tried an effort to connect the Pope with political issues. Everyone who understand clearly his goal and concept would call him a spiritual leader instead of a political leader which sounds to me more tricky.
Terri died with controversy among the people who don't like the current government protest against the policy in deciding to cut off her life support. I think this people should open their mind to think clearly where the fund needs to go. Why not donate a part of this fund to help people in Nias island, Indonesia, who got hit by another big earthquake? (just my humble thought..)


* Pope left his last message hours before his death to say thank you for people who have come to him. He seemed to get ready to die. He also prayed with his own words saying, "To all humanity, which today seems so lost and dominated by the power of evil, selfishness and fear, our resurrected Lord gives us his love which forgives, reconciles and reopens the soul to hope."
In Terri case, nobody knows what Terri wished to say before leaving the world. The bitter feud over whether she would have wanted to be kept alive with a feeding tube after a devastating brain injury stimulated debate among people about end-of-life issues.


* Pope had brain-working before his death, although part of his body didn't work well because of Parkinson disease. His brain seemed still working during final hours when he said: "I have looked for you, now you have come to me. And I thank you". He probably was thinking of the young people he met from all around the world during his pontiff years.
Terri, on the other hand, had brain-damage over her past 16 years which seemed she felt so desperate and suffered to live any longer in this world. In my opinion, she wished to die soon and not to intend of making troubles between the family.


I know removing the feeding tube that was keeping her alive sounds so terrible and not extremely acceptable. But can we explain to the estimated 30,000 cases of individuals in a persistent vegetative state who were also elevated and funded into international prominence? How do we resolve these terrible things? Why did we, a public who had no personal connection to Terri, get involved into the intimacies of her hospice experience? Come on.., open your mind! Most of us, in truth, didn't know enough of the facts to even have a legitimate opinion in this case. Or, in simply way you could say it was not our business. As what Pope said,"as all Christians should know, that death is not to be feared. If you are dying, you don't have to take every medical procedure to prolong your life another day, another month. At some point you can accept that you are dying as God's will and return to the Father.", why not we all just let her rest in peace??


Continuing about Pope...
It was such a blessing for us all, not just the world's Catholics, to have Pope John Paul II as a profound role model. One who understood the sanctity of life; who respected the human condition; who genuinely sought love and eschewed anger. One who knew the difference between fighting for one's beliefs and fighting for the sake of fighting. One who was universally beloved by people worldwide. He has been the symbol of love and compassion for all mankind. He embraced not only Catholics, but Protestants, Jews, Buddhist, and Muslims as well. In simple message, he said. "We are all one, we are all brothers."He was an inspiration to all of us. He had a wonderful sense of humor too, and admired the arts. He was a Pope for the entire world!

At the end, I must say I shouldn't mourn grievingly to his death any more. I should concentrate on feeling of joy knowing that he has done a remarkable job here on earth and he surely has returned to heavenly Father." I am very proud of you, Pope, not only being my good Shepherd but moreover you have shown me how to live in a true Christian faith, the way in which we are supposed to spread love and peace to one and another. And I am proud of myself too being your sheep and being born as a Catholic. From now on, I won't miss his loving figure and his compassionate smile because he is forever in my heart. Thank you, Pope John Paul II, for being my Pope these past 26 years. May you rest in peace in Father's house.

"Be Not Afraid!" Pope John Paul II repeated three times during his installation sermon. He practiced the fearlessness that he preached, in challenging communism, in admitting the errors of his church, in his recovery from a 1981 assassination attempt and, finally, in facing a long and debilitating illness (... my church's bulletin)

"Be Not Afraid!" is a message from Pope that I won't ever forget in my life cause I will always keep it in my mind forever and ever.