NewsMax.com: Autopsy May Shed Light on Terri's Death

I emphasize may. According to this article, the autopsy will include a complete evaluation of Terri Schindler Schiavo's brain by a neuropathologist, full body X-rays, gross and microscopic examination of her bones, and toxicological studies. The only thing that I would add to this examination is a full evaluation of her heart, of the type that any pathologist would do in a teaching hospital, having received authorization to perform a complete autopsy.

Concerning the disposition of her remains after the autopsy is done: Yes, I recognize that cremation sounds like a slap in the face of the Schindlers, who, being Roman Catholics, believe that one must preserve the body intact in anticipation of the Resurrection from the Dead. But in this case I hope I can set the Schindlers' minds at rest. The only reason why I do not want the body cremated is in case any future authorities, moved as they might be to investigate this travesty of justice, might wish to exhume the body for a repeat autopsy. I recall at least one case--one mentioned on Robert Stack's old program, Unsolved Mysteries--in which the family of a dead woman had her body exhumed twice, and on the second autopsy found that the woman had been injected with horse dope. The woman's husband fled, and when Robert Stack flashed his picture all over the world, his neighbor in, of all places, American Samoa called Robert Stack's toll-free number--whereupon the FBI hauled him in to face justice. He was convicted, and as far as I know he is still in prison for his crime.

So yes, preserving a body intact can have some benefit, and sometimes you have to examine a body three times to develop evidence of a crime.

But I sense that the real reason why the Schindlers are worried about cremation is that it would somehow prevent Terri--assuming that she is saved--from participating in the Resurrection from the Dead. Let not your hearts be troubled, please. Salvation of the soul, and everything that follows from that, is a gift of God, and does not depend on any work of man. That includes the Resurrection. When the time comes for Terri to participate in the Resurrection, her ashes--even if that be all that remains of her--will vanish from their urn and be reconstituted. Or she'll simply get a new body. But if an intact body were required for the Resurrection, then nobody buried any longer ago than the last twenty-five years or so--at maximum--could possibly qualify. Bodies decompose. The only civilization that ever came close to solving that problem were the ancient Egyptians--and I don't think anyone has ever figured out how they did it. But I wouldn't worry about it, and I would encourage the Schindlers not to worry about it. Michael Schiavo could permit that attorney of his to...well, never mind. None of it would matter, and nothing that happens to her body from now on will matter in the slightest to whether Terri will enjoy the Resurrection or not.

The only thing that does matter is whether Terri was a saved woman--whether she ever reached the point of putting her trust in Jesus Christ alone for her salvation, apart from any works of man--be they her own, or those of the Roman Catholic Church or any other church. Unfortunately, none of us are likely to learn the truth of that matter this side of the Eternal City. We can only trust God, and trust Divine Justice to be perfect--and also trust God alone for the execution of Divine Justice. God says quite clearly that Divine Justice is His own affair, not ours.