Today was very gut-wrenching.  Sonya, the girls, our friend Marina and I frequented the prayer vigil and news conference for Terri Schiavo in Tampa.  The bad news is that they pulled her feeding tube.  I was with her brother Bobby, my friend Carlos from the National Catholic Register, and some reporter from the New York Times just before it happened.  It was really sad.  I was on the cell with Pat Madrid when we got the news, and we had to cut the call short because I couldn't stop crying for Terri.  My three-year old daughter was with me and I just could not help but ask, "What if it was her in that bed while Sonya and I were being deprived the right to fight for her life?"  Fortunately, Bill Fuchs (a Past Supreme Vizier of the Alhambra) was working the back room of the Fez prayer chain for us and he managed to step in and get word out to our membership.  Similarly, I was glad Pat got word out here.  

Monsignor said it best when he said that Terri's parents now know how Our Blessed Mother felt on Good Friday.  One thing I should note, and although it pains me to admit this, many of the people there were extremely disappointed with what they saw as a weak response from the Florida bishops.  In fact, there was probably more anger expressed against Bishop Lynch than against Terri's husband and the judge who took his side.  Please pray for Terri's friends and family, and please pray for the Catholic clergy as well.

Nevertheless, there was some good news that gives us hope.  First off, Governor Jeb Bush is really concerned and contacted the family to let them know he has his legal team working on trying to open another possibility for his intervention.  He is extremely concerned, and not just as a politician.  He has been very supportive of the family throughout this ordeal, but he wants his interventions to accomplish as much as possible to save Terri and not simply to be a example of political grandstanding that does nothing.  Jeb is a very decent human being. 

Secondly, and more importantly, the misunderstanding between the Monsignor who is providing pastoral and spiritual support for Terri and her family, and the lawyers for the other side, came to some sort of resolution that restores Monsignor's pastoral visitation privileges (as well as the visitation privileges of Terri's family).  It still is not ideal, in that the other side has added more restrictions, but barring a miracle, at least Terri won't die alone -- deprived of family and pastoral assistance.  Please continue, however, to pray for a miracle...