An eyewitness account
A letter from Ron Foote
Ron Foote, Marie’s father-in-law, knew and loved Tony Pezzotta, and was present during his final weeks. On April 13, 2015, the day the family first learned of the article claiming Tony had received Catholic “last rites,” Ron wrote the following response. It is presented here as he wrote it, lightly edited for spelling.
- Tony had lost his ability to communicate a request long before his last days. He could not have requested “last rites” if he had wanted to.
- Anyone can come into a sleeping, practically comatose man’s room, put oil on his head, and pray over him without the “recipient of the sacrament” having any awareness of the act.
- A zealous devotee could have “last rites” administered to every patient and resident of a caregiving facility. This could be done with total sincerity and honorable intentions, without the knowledge or permission of the residents.
- Tony, in my understanding, didn’t have dementia; he had an inability to express what his more-than-capable brain was thinking. The real Tony Pezzotta would never consent to any ritual or sacrament of the Catholic church, even though the non-communicative Tony Pezzotta may not have been capable of offering his expressed and unconditional refusal of such a rite. The “last rites” may have been done to him, but he did not receive them!
- It is easy to win an argument with a dead person. The best way to win a debate is to make sure the opposing view cannot be expressed due to the death of its proponent. I believe Tony would have debated anyone, anytime, over the tenets of the Catholic faith or Truth Encounter, and there were quite a few years in which to challenge him. Claiming victory only after a man can no longer answer is like boasting you would have won the “Thrilla in Manila” after Ali could no longer answer the bell. Talk, after the fact, is cheaper than just talk.
- Dr. Anthony Pezzotta rejected the un-Biblical teachings of the Catholic church, committed his life and ministry to Christ Jesus, and served God the rest of his days as a devoted disciple and pastor in the Conservative Baptist Convention in the Philippines, southern California, the United States, and the world.
- Dr. Anthony Pezzotta clearly, unequivocally, and unambiguously stated his understanding of the wide chasm between the teachings of the Catholic church and the Truth of Biblical orthodoxy in Truth Encounter, which he did not, nor could he, recant.
— Ron Foote, April 13, 2015