Life Serial

It's been an exhausting week in this "culture of life." A woman in Florida who has lived in a vegatative state for more than a decade and a half survived thirteen days without food and water. Similarly, a priest in Rome is living out his final hours after enduring Parkinson's, a tracheotomy, kidney failure and the lingering effects of an assassin's bullets. People have an amazing capacity to hang on and to fight for life. Throughout the entire Terry Schiavo debate, I wondered what would be the harm in allowing her to be fed and cared for by her family. Her husband reported that she said that she would not want to be kept in this condition but according to a few press reports, he shared this confession years after her condition became clear. Would erring on the side of life be that awful?

And now the Pope. Those close to the holy father said he wanted to show the dignity of suffering and surrendering oneself to Christ. Fine. Catholic leaders lead by example. They have to be better, stronger, wiser and more devout than the rest of us. That is their role. And I found it oddly moving to see the Pope -- a man who recognized the evils of communism alongside Reagan and Thatcher -- submitting himself to God's brutal plan.

It's been an exhausting few weeks and death has been busy. All we can do is pray and look forward to spring. Life marches on.