Pope in some trouble......... (1 Viewer)

Apr 12, 2004
77,165
#1
Pope Rushed to Hospital with Breathing Problems

39 minutes ago

Top Stories - Reuters

By Philip Pullella and Crispian Balmer

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul (news - web sites) was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties on Tuesday night after a bout of influenza suddenly deteriorated.


The Vatican (news - web sites) said the 84-year-old Pope had suffered an acute attack of laryngospasm, a blocking of the passage that brings air to the lungs.

The frail leader of the Roman Catholic Church, who is also afflicted by Parkinson's disease (news - web sites), was taken to the Gemelli hospital in an ambulance but the Vatican said his condition did not warrant him being placed in the intensive care unit.

"The flu condition that has afflicted the Holy Father for the past three days deteriorated tonight with an acute laryngospasm. For this reason, it was decided to urgently take the Pope to the Gemelli hospital," a statement said.

"The Holy Father is in the same room that he has used in the Gemelli in the past. It was not therefore necessary for him to be placed in the intensive care unit of the Gemelli hospital."

The Polish Pontiff has been treated at least six times in the Gemelli during his 26-year papacy, and has his own suite on the 10th floor of the hospital on the outskirts of Rome.

Medical experts said acute laryngospasm was very rarely fatal, but was problematic considering the Pope's age and long history of medical problems.

"He's an elderly man and that's a serious problem for an elderly patient," said Gerald Berke, chief of head and neck surgery at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center.

The Pope has occasionally had difficulty breathing since he came down a decade ago with Parkinson's, which can affect chest muscle activity and the flu apparently complicated his condition.

The sudden worsening of his health again raised fears that one of the most remarkable papacies might be drawing to a close.

The Pope left his mark on the world like few others did in the 20th century, playing a leading role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 and also working tirelessly to revolutionize relations with other religions.

While nearly all of the world's Catholics cheered his defense of human rights and the downtrodden, he drew fear criticism from within his own flock for his unbending stance against contraception, gay marriages and women priests.



The Pope has been suffering from the flu since last Sunday and had canceled all engagements, including his weekly Wednesday general audience. The last time he had to cancel an audience for health reasons was in September 2003, when he came down with an intestinal ailment.

Only hours before being taken to hospital on Tuesday, the Vatican had said the flu was progressing normally.

Rome has been hit by an unusual cold snap and the winter chill has coincided with an outbreak of influenza across Italy, that has laid up one out of 100 people.

During his last public appearance, on Sunday in St Peter's Square, the Pope spoke in a hoarse voice.



The health of the leader of the world's one billion Roman Catholics had been relatively steady in past months.

But in the past decade, the world has watched with pity as the man once known as God's Athlete slowed down to the point where he could no longer walk or pronounce most of his speeches.

Each time the Pope's health faltered, speculation has thrived over his possible successor, including whether he would be from the Third World where the church is expanding.

The first non-Italian Pope in 455 years appointed nearly all the cardinals who will now be able to enter a conclave to elect his successor, thus stacking the odds that the next Pope will not tamper with controversial church teachings.

The first time Karol Wojtyla went to the Gemelli Hospital, considered one of the Italy's best medical institutions, was on May 13, 1981, after Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca shot him while he was riding in the "popemobile" in St Peter's Square.

Five hours of emergency surgery saved his life, but he had to return to the hospital later that year for an infection that he contracted from a blood transfusion.

In 1992 he underwent major surgery to remove a large intestinal tumor, which doctors said was the size of an orange and was beginning to turn malignant.

He returned to the hospital in 1994 when he slipped in his bath at the Vatican and broke his right thigh bone. After that accident, he never walked normally again.

(Additional reporting by Adam Tanner in San Francisco)
 

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Elnur_E65

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2004
10,848
#2
Leading role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989?

Adam Tanner from San Francisco needs to go over the history books.

Hope the Pope gets better.
 
OP
ßöмßäяðîëя
Apr 12, 2004
77,165
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread Starter #3
    I agree.

    I remember reading a story in the NY Times saying that a local priest in LA talked to God one day, and he told him to stop the gang battles in LA. So this priest decides to walk out into a gang fight where there are hundreds of bullets going back and forth, what do you think happened to the priest?
     

    Elnur_E65

    Senior Member
    Feb 21, 2004
    10,848
    #5
    ++ [ originally posted by Bürke ] ++
    I agree.

    I remember reading a story in the NY Times saying that a local priest in LA talked to God one day, and he told him to stop the gang battles in LA. So this priest decides to walk out into a gang fight where there are hundreds of bullets going back and forth, what do you think happened to the priest?
    What? He won a loterry?

    This reminds me how Nancy Reagan went on TV during RR's first term with a message "JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS".
     
    Jul 12, 2002
    5,666
    #12
    ++ [ originally posted by Elnur_E65 ] ++
    Leading role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989?

    Adam Tanner from San Francisco needs to go over the history books.

    Hope the Pope gets better.
    Actually, John Paul was very influential when it came to the downfall of communism in Poland, his home country. It could be said that the fall of communism in Poland spurred the subsequent revolts, but that's still a matter of debate.

    I couldn't really care less about John Paul, he's a old geezer who should have made way years ago. I just hope that his replacement is far more progressive and has a better grip on reality than he did...
     

    ADP Timers

    Senior Member
    Feb 4, 2004
    1,837
    #17
    ++ [ originally posted by Bürke ] ++


    Don't waste your prayers.
    Wont everyone die someday?
    I see him doing no harm, so its not a waste of prayers.
    You should eat those words. :(

    Hoping the Pope dies. It might be his time, but to not hope that he/she recovers is wrong I think.
     

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