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CNN Live Sunday

Schiavo Debate Continues; Pope Celebrates Easter

Aired March 27, 2005 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's 11:00 a.m. in Washington and 6:00 p.m. in Rome. I'm Gerri Willis at CNN's global headquarters in Atlanta.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Ahead this hour, one week after Congress rallied to keep Terri Schiavo alive, hope is fading for her parents. We're going to go live to Florida for a look at what, if any, options are left.

WILLIS: Also ahead, the pope makes an appearance on this Easter Sunday, but his blessing is not heard. We'll have a report from Rome. Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNETTE POLAN, CO-CHAIR, "FACES OF THE FALLEN": It was one of those eureka moments. I said this is a portrait gallery and I'm a portrait painter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: And this. How a newspaper spread on fallen soldiers inspired a remarkable tribute in art. But first, a look at some of the big stories making news right now.

President Bush is spending this Easter Sunday away from the White House. He's at Ft. Hood, Texas where he's getting ready to attend church services.

Lebanon's president is vowing to fight the violence that's rocking his country. An explosion believed to have been caused by a car bomb ripped through a mostly Christian sector of the Lebanese capital last night. Reports said more than half a dozen people were injured. It was Lebanon's third bombing in just eight days.

Also, there's an admission today from one of the world's most secretive countries. For the first time, North Korea is acknowledging an outbreak of bird flu in chickens. The communist and poverty- stricken country says hundreds of thousands have been killed to try and prevent the disease from spreading to people and then causing an epidemic. Right now they're not reporting any human cases, though.

In Monaco there's word that Prince Rainier's condition has improved. A palace spokesperson says that he has regained consciousness and has stabilized. The 81-year-old Rainier was admitted to the hospital six days ago with a lung infection complicated by heart and kidney problems. He is the world's second longest-reigning monarch.

WILLIS: We begin in Florida, where Terri Schiavo clings to life this Easter Sunday, nine days after her feeding tube was removed. Checking the latest developments, the Florida Supreme Court has dismissed an emergency petition by Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, to have the tube reinserted. A family spokesman says the Schindlers are grief-stricken that their daughter is dying and they're urging protesters outside the hospice where Schiavo is staying to go home and spend Easter with their families.

The attorney for Schiavo's husband, Michael, says the case is heartbreaking and heart-wrenching for his client. At Schiavo's hospice, protesters gathered this morning for an Easter vigil. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is with us now from Pinellas Park.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I want to point out over my shoulder, you're seeing a little bit of increased activity. The police have just made another arrest, exactly what the Schindlers have said they did not want. I was speaking earlier with Bob Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father, who had urged people to stay away, and he said he did not want trouble. It's not something that helped his cause, nor did he want to see the family supporters arrested.

Well, there just was another arrest. That's what the hubbub over there is about. It was the third one of the day. Earlier this morning, after sunrise services two others were arrested in much the same way. They were trying to cross the lines. The police told them they could not trespass onto the hospice grounds. When they refused to stop in their efforts to provide symbolically at least Terri Schiavo with water, they were placed under arrest. And there have been a series of these efforts at civil disobedience. The one that just occurred got a little bit more intense and as a matter of fact, the police have beefed up their security out of concern that as the feelings grow, the intensity of the demonstrations is also going to grow.

And Terri Schiavo is now nine days into the removal of her feeding tube and there is concern that she is not going to be able to survive much longer. This is Easter. The Schindlers have said that the protesters should stay away. They should spend Easter with their families. But many showed up and in fact had a service here, sunrise service. It was one of several prayer efforts that has gone on as the debate continues. It is both a political debate. It's obviously a legal debate that has been unsuccessful for the Schindler family thus far. And at its core it is a very personal, very, very, very sad family problem. Gerri?

WILLIS: Thank you for that, Bob Franken.

Michael Schiavo maintains he is following his wife's wishes not to be kept alive in a persistent vegetative state, but in an interview last night with CNN's Carol Lin, Terri Schiavo's brother questioned that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: The wishes that were evidently stated by my sister were -- came forward seven years after her collapse and they came forward after Michael had intended -- he had already expressed his wish that he was going to marry another woman upon my sister's death. So that's why we've been fighting so hard. I think that's why we've had such an outpouring of support, because the people look at this case and they just don't understand why my sister is being killed in this horrible fashion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, Michael Schiavo's representatives are saying just the opposite of what the protesters and other family members are saying about Terri's condition, and for more on that, let's head over to CNN's Randi Kaye. She's outside the hospice where Terri Schiavo's being cared for. Good morning, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick. I'm actually at the attorney's office, George Felos. He is representing Michael Schiavo. And he came out here yesterday to speak about Terri Schiavo's condition and he had a very different story than what Bobby Schindler had to say about this. He said that she's doing remarkably well. He said she appears comfortable. She appears at peace. There's a certain naturalness about her. He said in all the years he's known her, he's never seen her so much at peace and it appeared to him, he said, that her death is not imminent.

Meanwhile the day brought another round of legal losses for the Schindlers. Judge George Greer in the state court here denied their motion to provide some fluids to their daughter, Terri Schiavo over the weekend so they could buy some time and have her reevaluated by a doctor. They believe her will to live has changed. That motion was denied. So they filed an emergency petition with the Florida Supreme Court, asking for the feeding tube to be reinstated and asking for her to be evaluated. And then last night the Florida Supreme Court dismissed that petition, saying it was out of their jurisdiction.

Now, also in the last couple of days or so, the issue of communion has come up. The family, the Schindlers requesting that their daughter receive communion on this Easter Sunday. And yesterday George Felos, representing Michael Schiavo, said that Michael Schiavo does not want that and he rejected that idea. And here is George Felos's explanation of why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: The court issued an order the week before artificial feeding was removed, which provided that Mrs. Schiavo receive last rites and the sacrament of communion the day her feeding tube was removed. That did occur. And the court also ordered that she may receive the sacrament on one other occasion prior to her death. And when that occurs, the sacrament would be administered by the hospice priest and the parents' spiritual adviser may be present should he choose at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: And a future date for that communion, that sacrament, has not been set. But just to give you an idea, out of the "Tampa Tribune" today just how high the passions are running. There's an e- mail in the paper to Judge George Greer who is the judge who initially ruled that the feeding tube should be removed, and it reads, "should you allow this woman to die I hope someone ties your hands behind your back while an elected official slowly strangles your child to death." So Rick, you can see that there is still much anger and much passion surrounding this issue as Terri Schiavo gets closer to what appears will be her death.

SANCHEZ: Randi Kaye following that story for us outside the attorney's office. We thank you, Randi. We'll be getting back to you. Gerri, over to you.

WILLIS: The "L.A. Times" reports House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who led the congressional intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, once faced a similar life or death decision more than 16 years ago. In 1988, DeLay's father was injured in an accident. Charles DeLay was in a coma and kept alive with oxygen equipment and intravenous lines. Three weeks later, with his kidneys failing, he died after the DeLay family agreed to withhold dialysis and other treatment. Congressman DeLay has blasted Michael Schiavo. DeLay has called Schiavo's decision to remove his wife's feeding tube after 14 years an act of barbarism. In both cases there was severe brain damage in the patients and neither had a living will. Both also had previously indicated they did not want to be kept alive by artificial means.

SANCHEZ: Here's a programming note we want to share with you. Coming up on CNN's LATE EDITION: "Terri Schiavo, the Culture of Life." It's the Reverend Jerry Falwell and the Reverend Al Sharpton. They're going to weigh in with their thoughts on this emotionally charged case. Again, that's coming up at noon Eastern and right here on CNN.

WILLIS: On this Easter Sunday, Pope John Paul II made an appearance from his Vatican window today, but his blessing to the crowd had to be read by someone else. CNN's Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Not even a rainy day in Rome could keep tens of thousands of pilgrims away from St. Peter's Square, and as the crowd gathered in that square, the expectation to see Pope John Paul II was clearly palpable. As expected, however, the pope was not well enough to participate in the mass, which was presided by a top Vatican cardinal. But at the end of it, the pope eventually rewarded the tens of thousands of pilgrims who gathered with a lengthy appearance which lasted about 12 minutes, much longer than previous ones.

He sat at his window while Cardinal Sodano read out the pope's traditional Easter Sunday blessing known as Urbi et Orbi, to the city and to the world, in which he called for peace in the Middle East and Africa, prayed for the victims of natural disasters, as well as for those suffering from hunger and poverty, a message all the more poignant of course this year given the pope's own suffering.

At one point, the pope did attempt to say a few words, perhaps a blessing. A microphone was put in front of him. But all we could hear was a whisper perhaps or a murmur. The pope clearly not well enough to speak. He did look in pain. He touched his throat and his face several times. But at the end, he opted for a silent blessing, which is made with his hand by making the sign of the cross.

I'm Alessio Vinci, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, Christians in the West Bank are also observing Easter, even though a closure imposed on Palestinian areas has kept thousands from attending services there. Churches there were filled solely with Palestinian Christians, most of whom live in Jerusalem. That's because Israelis closed their cities for Jewish holidays which end tonight. The closure meant that thousands of Palestinians, who have permits to work in Israel, were not allowed out of Palestinian areas.

Easter celebrations have also taken place in Iraq. As you see here, Iraqi Christians took part in traditional services there. U.S. Services also took time to worship. They held services last night as well as this morning.

WILLIS: A new exhibit at Arlington National Cemetery features poignant glimpses of fallen U.S. troops. We'll show you the display and the impact it's having on some.

Also ahead, Michael Jackson talks about the strategies he's using to cope with his legal ordeal. We'll hear from him.

Plus, what does this water rescue have in common with a driver talking on his cell phone? Stay with us for the answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. DON QUINTANO: Hi. This is Captain Don Quintano (ph) with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Public Affairs. I'd like to wish my mom and my dad back in Minneola a happy Easter, the rest of my family on Long Island a happy Easter as well. I love you guys, and I'll be home soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANCE CORPORAL ERICA PLAZA HERNANDEZ: Hello. My name is Lance Corporal Erica Plaza Hernandez (ph). I'm here in Camp Fallujah, Iraq. I just wanted to say a Happy Easter to my family back home in Brooklyn, New York. Hi, Lucy. Hi, Sandra. And hi, Rosina. I love you all and I miss you all, and I should be home soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: It's always good to be able to share those, isn't it?

WILLIS: Lovely.

SANCHEZ: I was listening to Chad Myers this morning, and he's been commenting throughout the morning on there's one place in the country that seems to have kind of bad weather. And you know, it's not far from where you and I are right now, as a matter of fact.

WILLIS: We're at dead center, right?

SANCHEZ: Ground zero, right, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just about. Good morning, guys.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WILLIS: Chad, thank you for that. I wish you could rustle up some better weather than that, though.

MYERS: Just depends where you live. Kansas City looks great.

SANCHEZ: It's fine out west as well. Thanks, Chad.

Embattled pop star Michael Jackson is calling himself a warrior. While standing trial on charges of child molestation, Jackson took time out to be interviewed on a radio show. This is Jackson you're about to hear talking with the Reverend Jesse Jackson on a radio show called "Keep Hope Alive." Here it is.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: I gain strength from God. I believe in Jehovah, God, very much, and I gain strength from the fact that I know I'm innocent. None of these stories are true. They're totally fabricated. And it's very sad and very, very painful. And I pray a lot, and that's how I deal with it. And I'm a strong person. I'm a warrior. And I know what's inside of me. I'm a fighter. It's very painful. At the end of the day I'm still human. You know, I'm still a human being. So it does hurt very, very, very much.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Jackson is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy two years ago.

WILLIS: Taking a look at news across America: in Iowa a body found yesterday has been identified as that of a missing 10-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Jetseta Marrie Gage. Gage disappeared last week from her home, prompting a statewide Amber Alert. The suspect in Gage's abduction, a convicted sex offender, remains in custody.

Two more funerals for victims in the Minnesota school shootings are scheduled for today. Daryl Lussier and his companion, Michelle Sigana, were the first two victims of 16-year old gunman Jeff Weise. Lussier was Weise's grandfather. In Oregon, a rescue after a woman talking on her cell phone lost control of her SUV, crashed through a guardrail, and plunged into the Willamette River yesterday.

In the NCAA tournament a dramatic overtime win for the top-ranked and top-seeded Illini. Trailing by 15 with four minutes to play, squeaking out a 90-89 win. And another dramatic overtime game sees Louisville beating West Virginia to advance to the Final Four. The Cardinals trailed by as much as 20 points in the game but outlasted West Virginia down the stretch. The 93-85 win makes coach Rick Pitino the first man to take three different teams to the Final Four.

SANCHEZ: I guess he's good.

WILLIS: I guess so.

RELIABLE SOURCES starts in about 10 minutes. Here's Howard Kurtz with a preview.

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Coming up, the saturation coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. Have the media turned this sad story into a made-for-TV drama? Have journalists given religious conservatives a fair shake on the right to die debate and on other controversies such as the teaching of creationism.

And this Easter question. Why don't the networks have a single full-time reporter covering religion?

That, plus Jerry Springer's latest career move and the lottery that backfired on New York's "Daily News." All next on RELIABLE SOURCES.

SANCHEZ: And there's this story that we're following on this day. More than 200 artists taking on, well, a difficult task. They're capturing images of servicemen and women they never knew. Next, we'll show you how the remarkable portraits of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: You're looking at pictures from Easter services at Arlington National Cemetery. The non-denominational services were held at the cemetery's memorial amphitheater and were free to the public.

SANCHEZ: It is called "Faces of the Fallen," the art project at Arlington cemetery. It commemorates the courage and the bravery of U.S. servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price in both Iraq and Afghanistan. More now on this from our Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some seem ready to say hi, extend their hand. Others are more haunting. Collectively, they're overwhelming. Portraits of lives cut short.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a likeness of our son. His smile, his blue eyes. It really ...

TODD: Fathers can't finish their sentences. Mothers cry. Their children among this gallery of heroes. More than 1300 servicemen and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. So aptly named "faces of the fallen."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My son was driving a five-ton truck. This girl was riding shotgun. It was a roadside bomb.

TODD: A wrenching toll on parents and artists. B.G. Muhn spent months on his portraits. He got so close to his subjects, he says, that the soldiers appeared in his dreams.

B.G. MUHN, ARTIST: They're coming to me and tried to express I don't know exactly what, but they're with me. They haunt me I guess beyond the level of my current consciousness.

TODD: B.G. Muhn's work on this project is prolific. He and his family alone have done more than 30 portraits. But he's just one of more than 200 artists who've contributed their time and talent, a massive undertaking, all inspired by one woman and her own personal loss. Annette Polan says she spent about a month on her couch after her mother died early last year. Then she picked up a newspaper and saw a huge spread, photographs of lost servicemen.

ANNETTE POLAN, CO-CHAIR, "FACES OF THE FALLEN": And I looked, and it was one of those eureka moments. I said, this is a portrait gallery. And I'm a portrait painter. I'm going -- I'm going to create something that will be more lasting.

TODD: They'll certainly last with Marine Corporal Charles Lauersdorf who looks at the portraits of 27 buddies he lost in the Sunni Triangle last year and wonders.

CPL. CHARLES LAUERSDORF, U.S. MARINE CORPS: To come back and see them, almost a sense of guilt is associated with it.

TODD: They'll last with the memory of 21-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Elias Torrez, whose parents came all the way from central Texas.

MARTHA RAMIREZ-TORREZ, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: There's really no words for a fallen hero. It's very emotional to see the beautiful portrait.

TODD: Emotions that overtake a hardened Vietnam vet who lost his oldest boy.

REX ROGERS, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: It's hard. Very difficult for me. They say freedom is -- it's just not free. There's a lot of pain and suffering that goes along with it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: RELIABLE SOURCES is next right after this check of our top stories.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired March 27, 2005 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's 11:00 a.m. in Washington and 6:00 p.m. in Rome. I'm Gerri Willis at CNN's global headquarters in Atlanta.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Ahead this hour, one week after Congress rallied to keep Terri Schiavo alive, hope is fading for her parents. We're going to go live to Florida for a look at what, if any, options are left.

WILLIS: Also ahead, the pope makes an appearance on this Easter Sunday, but his blessing is not heard. We'll have a report from Rome. Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNETTE POLAN, CO-CHAIR, "FACES OF THE FALLEN": It was one of those eureka moments. I said this is a portrait gallery and I'm a portrait painter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: And this. How a newspaper spread on fallen soldiers inspired a remarkable tribute in art. But first, a look at some of the big stories making news right now.

President Bush is spending this Easter Sunday away from the White House. He's at Ft. Hood, Texas where he's getting ready to attend church services.

Lebanon's president is vowing to fight the violence that's rocking his country. An explosion believed to have been caused by a car bomb ripped through a mostly Christian sector of the Lebanese capital last night. Reports said more than half a dozen people were injured. It was Lebanon's third bombing in just eight days.

Also, there's an admission today from one of the world's most secretive countries. For the first time, North Korea is acknowledging an outbreak of bird flu in chickens. The communist and poverty- stricken country says hundreds of thousands have been killed to try and prevent the disease from spreading to people and then causing an epidemic. Right now they're not reporting any human cases, though.

In Monaco there's word that Prince Rainier's condition has improved. A palace spokesperson says that he has regained consciousness and has stabilized. The 81-year-old Rainier was admitted to the hospital six days ago with a lung infection complicated by heart and kidney problems. He is the world's second longest-reigning monarch.

WILLIS: We begin in Florida, where Terri Schiavo clings to life this Easter Sunday, nine days after her feeding tube was removed. Checking the latest developments, the Florida Supreme Court has dismissed an emergency petition by Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, to have the tube reinserted. A family spokesman says the Schindlers are grief-stricken that their daughter is dying and they're urging protesters outside the hospice where Schiavo is staying to go home and spend Easter with their families.

The attorney for Schiavo's husband, Michael, says the case is heartbreaking and heart-wrenching for his client. At Schiavo's hospice, protesters gathered this morning for an Easter vigil. CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is with us now from Pinellas Park.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I want to point out over my shoulder, you're seeing a little bit of increased activity. The police have just made another arrest, exactly what the Schindlers have said they did not want. I was speaking earlier with Bob Schindler, Terri Schiavo's father, who had urged people to stay away, and he said he did not want trouble. It's not something that helped his cause, nor did he want to see the family supporters arrested.

Well, there just was another arrest. That's what the hubbub over there is about. It was the third one of the day. Earlier this morning, after sunrise services two others were arrested in much the same way. They were trying to cross the lines. The police told them they could not trespass onto the hospice grounds. When they refused to stop in their efforts to provide symbolically at least Terri Schiavo with water, they were placed under arrest. And there have been a series of these efforts at civil disobedience. The one that just occurred got a little bit more intense and as a matter of fact, the police have beefed up their security out of concern that as the feelings grow, the intensity of the demonstrations is also going to grow.

And Terri Schiavo is now nine days into the removal of her feeding tube and there is concern that she is not going to be able to survive much longer. This is Easter. The Schindlers have said that the protesters should stay away. They should spend Easter with their families. But many showed up and in fact had a service here, sunrise service. It was one of several prayer efforts that has gone on as the debate continues. It is both a political debate. It's obviously a legal debate that has been unsuccessful for the Schindler family thus far. And at its core it is a very personal, very, very, very sad family problem. Gerri?

WILLIS: Thank you for that, Bob Franken.

Michael Schiavo maintains he is following his wife's wishes not to be kept alive in a persistent vegetative state, but in an interview last night with CNN's Carol Lin, Terri Schiavo's brother questioned that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: The wishes that were evidently stated by my sister were -- came forward seven years after her collapse and they came forward after Michael had intended -- he had already expressed his wish that he was going to marry another woman upon my sister's death. So that's why we've been fighting so hard. I think that's why we've had such an outpouring of support, because the people look at this case and they just don't understand why my sister is being killed in this horrible fashion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, Michael Schiavo's representatives are saying just the opposite of what the protesters and other family members are saying about Terri's condition, and for more on that, let's head over to CNN's Randi Kaye. She's outside the hospice where Terri Schiavo's being cared for. Good morning, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick. I'm actually at the attorney's office, George Felos. He is representing Michael Schiavo. And he came out here yesterday to speak about Terri Schiavo's condition and he had a very different story than what Bobby Schindler had to say about this. He said that she's doing remarkably well. He said she appears comfortable. She appears at peace. There's a certain naturalness about her. He said in all the years he's known her, he's never seen her so much at peace and it appeared to him, he said, that her death is not imminent.

Meanwhile the day brought another round of legal losses for the Schindlers. Judge George Greer in the state court here denied their motion to provide some fluids to their daughter, Terri Schiavo over the weekend so they could buy some time and have her reevaluated by a doctor. They believe her will to live has changed. That motion was denied. So they filed an emergency petition with the Florida Supreme Court, asking for the feeding tube to be reinstated and asking for her to be evaluated. And then last night the Florida Supreme Court dismissed that petition, saying it was out of their jurisdiction.

Now, also in the last couple of days or so, the issue of communion has come up. The family, the Schindlers requesting that their daughter receive communion on this Easter Sunday. And yesterday George Felos, representing Michael Schiavo, said that Michael Schiavo does not want that and he rejected that idea. And here is George Felos's explanation of why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: The court issued an order the week before artificial feeding was removed, which provided that Mrs. Schiavo receive last rites and the sacrament of communion the day her feeding tube was removed. That did occur. And the court also ordered that she may receive the sacrament on one other occasion prior to her death. And when that occurs, the sacrament would be administered by the hospice priest and the parents' spiritual adviser may be present should he choose at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: And a future date for that communion, that sacrament, has not been set. But just to give you an idea, out of the "Tampa Tribune" today just how high the passions are running. There's an e- mail in the paper to Judge George Greer who is the judge who initially ruled that the feeding tube should be removed, and it reads, "should you allow this woman to die I hope someone ties your hands behind your back while an elected official slowly strangles your child to death." So Rick, you can see that there is still much anger and much passion surrounding this issue as Terri Schiavo gets closer to what appears will be her death.

SANCHEZ: Randi Kaye following that story for us outside the attorney's office. We thank you, Randi. We'll be getting back to you. Gerri, over to you.

WILLIS: The "L.A. Times" reports House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who led the congressional intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, once faced a similar life or death decision more than 16 years ago. In 1988, DeLay's father was injured in an accident. Charles DeLay was in a coma and kept alive with oxygen equipment and intravenous lines. Three weeks later, with his kidneys failing, he died after the DeLay family agreed to withhold dialysis and other treatment. Congressman DeLay has blasted Michael Schiavo. DeLay has called Schiavo's decision to remove his wife's feeding tube after 14 years an act of barbarism. In both cases there was severe brain damage in the patients and neither had a living will. Both also had previously indicated they did not want to be kept alive by artificial means.

SANCHEZ: Here's a programming note we want to share with you. Coming up on CNN's LATE EDITION: "Terri Schiavo, the Culture of Life." It's the Reverend Jerry Falwell and the Reverend Al Sharpton. They're going to weigh in with their thoughts on this emotionally charged case. Again, that's coming up at noon Eastern and right here on CNN.

WILLIS: On this Easter Sunday, Pope John Paul II made an appearance from his Vatican window today, but his blessing to the crowd had to be read by someone else. CNN's Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Not even a rainy day in Rome could keep tens of thousands of pilgrims away from St. Peter's Square, and as the crowd gathered in that square, the expectation to see Pope John Paul II was clearly palpable. As expected, however, the pope was not well enough to participate in the mass, which was presided by a top Vatican cardinal. But at the end of it, the pope eventually rewarded the tens of thousands of pilgrims who gathered with a lengthy appearance which lasted about 12 minutes, much longer than previous ones.

He sat at his window while Cardinal Sodano read out the pope's traditional Easter Sunday blessing known as Urbi et Orbi, to the city and to the world, in which he called for peace in the Middle East and Africa, prayed for the victims of natural disasters, as well as for those suffering from hunger and poverty, a message all the more poignant of course this year given the pope's own suffering.

At one point, the pope did attempt to say a few words, perhaps a blessing. A microphone was put in front of him. But all we could hear was a whisper perhaps or a murmur. The pope clearly not well enough to speak. He did look in pain. He touched his throat and his face several times. But at the end, he opted for a silent blessing, which is made with his hand by making the sign of the cross.

I'm Alessio Vinci, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, Christians in the West Bank are also observing Easter, even though a closure imposed on Palestinian areas has kept thousands from attending services there. Churches there were filled solely with Palestinian Christians, most of whom live in Jerusalem. That's because Israelis closed their cities for Jewish holidays which end tonight. The closure meant that thousands of Palestinians, who have permits to work in Israel, were not allowed out of Palestinian areas.

Easter celebrations have also taken place in Iraq. As you see here, Iraqi Christians took part in traditional services there. U.S. Services also took time to worship. They held services last night as well as this morning.

WILLIS: A new exhibit at Arlington National Cemetery features poignant glimpses of fallen U.S. troops. We'll show you the display and the impact it's having on some.

Also ahead, Michael Jackson talks about the strategies he's using to cope with his legal ordeal. We'll hear from him.

Plus, what does this water rescue have in common with a driver talking on his cell phone? Stay with us for the answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. DON QUINTANO: Hi. This is Captain Don Quintano (ph) with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Public Affairs. I'd like to wish my mom and my dad back in Minneola a happy Easter, the rest of my family on Long Island a happy Easter as well. I love you guys, and I'll be home soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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LANCE CORPORAL ERICA PLAZA HERNANDEZ: Hello. My name is Lance Corporal Erica Plaza Hernandez (ph). I'm here in Camp Fallujah, Iraq. I just wanted to say a Happy Easter to my family back home in Brooklyn, New York. Hi, Lucy. Hi, Sandra. And hi, Rosina. I love you all and I miss you all, and I should be home soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: It's always good to be able to share those, isn't it?

WILLIS: Lovely.

SANCHEZ: I was listening to Chad Myers this morning, and he's been commenting throughout the morning on there's one place in the country that seems to have kind of bad weather. And you know, it's not far from where you and I are right now, as a matter of fact.

WILLIS: We're at dead center, right?

SANCHEZ: Ground zero, right, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just about. Good morning, guys.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WILLIS: Chad, thank you for that. I wish you could rustle up some better weather than that, though.

MYERS: Just depends where you live. Kansas City looks great.

SANCHEZ: It's fine out west as well. Thanks, Chad.

Embattled pop star Michael Jackson is calling himself a warrior. While standing trial on charges of child molestation, Jackson took time out to be interviewed on a radio show. This is Jackson you're about to hear talking with the Reverend Jesse Jackson on a radio show called "Keep Hope Alive." Here it is.

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MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: I gain strength from God. I believe in Jehovah, God, very much, and I gain strength from the fact that I know I'm innocent. None of these stories are true. They're totally fabricated. And it's very sad and very, very painful. And I pray a lot, and that's how I deal with it. And I'm a strong person. I'm a warrior. And I know what's inside of me. I'm a fighter. It's very painful. At the end of the day I'm still human. You know, I'm still a human being. So it does hurt very, very, very much.

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SANCHEZ: Jackson is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy two years ago.

WILLIS: Taking a look at news across America: in Iowa a body found yesterday has been identified as that of a missing 10-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Jetseta Marrie Gage. Gage disappeared last week from her home, prompting a statewide Amber Alert. The suspect in Gage's abduction, a convicted sex offender, remains in custody.

Two more funerals for victims in the Minnesota school shootings are scheduled for today. Daryl Lussier and his companion, Michelle Sigana, were the first two victims of 16-year old gunman Jeff Weise. Lussier was Weise's grandfather. In Oregon, a rescue after a woman talking on her cell phone lost control of her SUV, crashed through a guardrail, and plunged into the Willamette River yesterday.

In the NCAA tournament a dramatic overtime win for the top-ranked and top-seeded Illini. Trailing by 15 with four minutes to play, squeaking out a 90-89 win. And another dramatic overtime game sees Louisville beating West Virginia to advance to the Final Four. The Cardinals trailed by as much as 20 points in the game but outlasted West Virginia down the stretch. The 93-85 win makes coach Rick Pitino the first man to take three different teams to the Final Four.

SANCHEZ: I guess he's good.

WILLIS: I guess so.

RELIABLE SOURCES starts in about 10 minutes. Here's Howard Kurtz with a preview.

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Coming up, the saturation coverage of the Terri Schiavo case. Have the media turned this sad story into a made-for-TV drama? Have journalists given religious conservatives a fair shake on the right to die debate and on other controversies such as the teaching of creationism.

And this Easter question. Why don't the networks have a single full-time reporter covering religion?

That, plus Jerry Springer's latest career move and the lottery that backfired on New York's "Daily News." All next on RELIABLE SOURCES.

SANCHEZ: And there's this story that we're following on this day. More than 200 artists taking on, well, a difficult task. They're capturing images of servicemen and women they never knew. Next, we'll show you how the remarkable portraits of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan look.

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WILLIS: You're looking at pictures from Easter services at Arlington National Cemetery. The non-denominational services were held at the cemetery's memorial amphitheater and were free to the public.

SANCHEZ: It is called "Faces of the Fallen," the art project at Arlington cemetery. It commemorates the courage and the bravery of U.S. servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price in both Iraq and Afghanistan. More now on this from our Brian Todd.

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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some seem ready to say hi, extend their hand. Others are more haunting. Collectively, they're overwhelming. Portraits of lives cut short.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a likeness of our son. His smile, his blue eyes. It really ...

TODD: Fathers can't finish their sentences. Mothers cry. Their children among this gallery of heroes. More than 1300 servicemen and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. So aptly named "faces of the fallen."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My son was driving a five-ton truck. This girl was riding shotgun. It was a roadside bomb.

TODD: A wrenching toll on parents and artists. B.G. Muhn spent months on his portraits. He got so close to his subjects, he says, that the soldiers appeared in his dreams.

B.G. MUHN, ARTIST: They're coming to me and tried to express I don't know exactly what, but they're with me. They haunt me I guess beyond the level of my current consciousness.

TODD: B.G. Muhn's work on this project is prolific. He and his family alone have done more than 30 portraits. But he's just one of more than 200 artists who've contributed their time and talent, a massive undertaking, all inspired by one woman and her own personal loss. Annette Polan says she spent about a month on her couch after her mother died early last year. Then she picked up a newspaper and saw a huge spread, photographs of lost servicemen.

ANNETTE POLAN, CO-CHAIR, "FACES OF THE FALLEN": And I looked, and it was one of those eureka moments. I said, this is a portrait gallery. And I'm a portrait painter. I'm going -- I'm going to create something that will be more lasting.

TODD: They'll certainly last with Marine Corporal Charles Lauersdorf who looks at the portraits of 27 buddies he lost in the Sunni Triangle last year and wonders.

CPL. CHARLES LAUERSDORF, U.S. MARINE CORPS: To come back and see them, almost a sense of guilt is associated with it.

TODD: They'll last with the memory of 21-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Elias Torrez, whose parents came all the way from central Texas.

MARTHA RAMIREZ-TORREZ, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: There's really no words for a fallen hero. It's very emotional to see the beautiful portrait.

TODD: Emotions that overtake a hardened Vietnam vet who lost his oldest boy.

REX ROGERS, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: It's hard. Very difficult for me. They say freedom is -- it's just not free. There's a lot of pain and suffering that goes along with it.

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WILLIS: RELIABLE SOURCES is next right after this check of our top stories.

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