In light of threats and planned protests, Catholic Healthcare International’s 1st Annual Conference on Unsettled Bioethics in Honor of the 20th Anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s Death will be rescheduled. We are astonished and saddened some are willing to create a spectacle at an event to honor the life of a woman who was starved to death.

The day to honor Terri’s life and support the CHI mission of uniting healthcare with holiness to relieve suffering, given directly to our founder from St. Pio, cannot become a platform used to amplify the voices of calumny, hate and bigotry.

Our group of ethicists, religious leaders, and medical professionals regrets the change but in solidarity, will offer this Bioethics conference at a later time, and we will continue our essential work of changing a healthcare delivery system that is in desperate need of truth and reform to save the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Please watch our emails for the new date to be announced.

To those from across seven states who are registered, we are sorry to disappoint you, but we cannot allow even this small group to disrupt the Cathedral parish and our mission focused day. We will be issuing refunds, and you will be the first to be invited to the rescheduled event.

The Terri Schiavo Open House and Mass have not been canceled, but unfortunately for her family, will look quite different from what was originally planned. The open house will open at 1:00 pm and conclude with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Burke at 4:00 pm.

We want to make it clear that the vile lies regarding Fr. Robinson are entirely untrue. Common sense and a reasonable look make that clear. We have prayed and worked together with Fr. Calvin. We know his heart and his character and he remains a close friend and valued member of our Medical School Board of Trustees. 

We pray for Fr. Robinson, we pray for those who are publicly defaming him, and we pray for each of you. May God soften hearts and let us work together to live and serve both the holy and the sinners, as our Lord commanded. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

There are also a number of these same people who have spoken out against our Episcopal Advisor, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. We are saddened, but not surprised, at the outpouring of hate for this good and holy man. We choose to wear the hate as a badge of honor. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”

We are thankful for your support and need it now more than ever. We know we are making great progress as the fury of hell comes out against all that is good, holy and righteous.

May God’s peace be with you.