Last I heard, Doctor Death, Jack Kevorkian, is sitting in a state prison somewhere in Michigan for his participation in—or more precisely, his provoking of—the deaths of dozens of suffering people, many of whom were not terminal or in danger of imminent death. Poor Doctor Death. He got caught. He was unlucky enough to work in the wrong state and be in the wrong profession. He should have been a circuit court judge in Florida. Then he could give full vent to his death wish for other people.

Last Friday (February 25th), Judge George Greer in Clearwater, Florida, issued what can only be described as a writ of execution for an innocent woman who is not terminal, is not on life support, is not suffering and who has not done anything to deserve a sentence of capital punishment other than to be an unfortunate resident of Pinellas County where Greer exercises his heinous brand of judicial activism. Judge Death has denied any possibility of legal counsel for Terri, for depositions of her husband who is advocating her death, for submission of new medical evidence, even for divorce or a new legal guardian. Now the family of Terri Schindler-Schiavo has been given three weeks before her feeding tube is removed and she dies an unnatural, painful, brutal death. Judge Death thinks this drama has gone on long enough and wants her to get last rites before she goes calmly into that good night even though up to this point he has denied the possibility of her receiving any Sacramental care whatsoever. I agree with Terri’s lawyer, David Gibbs, who said at last Friday’s press conference that this act is both “barbaric” and “Hitler-esque” and unworthy of an enlightened society. It is however, apparently not unworthy of Judge Death who has unilaterally and without precedent in the state or country decided that Terri should die. We all know that the euthanasia lobby is seeking a legal precedent for its nefarious agenda, and that is why Judge Death says that Terri must die. That is the long and short of it. It reminds me of the chilling remark that Pharisee Death once said about Jesus, “It is expedient that one man die….”

Of course Judge Death does not work alone. His fanatical teammates are Attorney Death and Husband Death, both of whom have a vested interest in seeing this innocent woman die. Husband Death is shacking up with another woman and has produced a couple kids by her; so that means Terri must die. Attorney Death is president of the Florida “Right to Die” group, formerly known as the Hemlock Society, a name that should strike fear into the hearts of all sick and elderly people in a state full of sick and elderly people. So Terri must die. Judicial fiat is the new expression of “choice” in our so-called free society. We must all hope and pray that we stay on the right side of that very weird view of freedom that is nothing more than a game of survival of the fittest.

While the very competent legal team is pursuing a few final measures to save Terri’s life we are not deprived of temporal hope prior to March 18th, the day her court-ordered starvation begins. We will just hope and pray that her allies of true justice prevail. Then we will feel a little less uncomfortable about our legal system than we do now. However, if that fails we are left with only one Hope: Divine Justice. Some day, Judge Death will stand before the Judge of Life and Death and account for innocent blood shed. Attorney Death will argue before the Advocate of Life—good luck. That Day will also winnow Husband Death who will have to answer to the eternal Spouse of the Church. I will not be praying for them at that moment. I am praying for their conversion in these next three weeks, and may the Lord grant it.

From this perspective, Doctor Death may be the lucky one. He is doing his time now.