The Pope Has Been Hospitalized

[Dodger 0]

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told The Associated Press that the decision to hospitalize the 84-year-old pontiff was "mainly a precaution."


He pointed out that the pope was not in intensive care but in the same 10th floor suite of rooms where he has been during several previous stays at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, about 2 1/2 miles from the Vatican.


The pope has the flu and acute laryngeal tracheitis, Navarro-Valls said, acknowledging the pontiff had a "certain difficulty in breathing." The spokesman, who has a medical degree, denied Italian news reports that the pope had a CAT scan at the hospital.


Navarro-Valls said more tests will be done and the Vatican would issue a medical report sometime after 9 a.m. (3 a.m. EST) Wednesday. The hospital said the first statement would be from the Vatican. Journalists were being kept out of the facility.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/?ref=gs

[quiksilver 0]

Oh.. I hope he gets better soon. I have never had the flu before. Is it really bad?

[Eruntalon 0]

Hmmm...really? I hadn't heard that. That's really too bad. I feel sorry for the old chap. I have a somewhat sad feeling that he hasn't long left...that man has been through alot. You have to somewhat admire him, though I'm not in any way a "fan" of the pope, or what he stands for. I just think it's rather amazing that he still does what he does....

[Caveman 0]

I'm not deeply religious by any means, but yeah, it's a very discouraging situation. We've lost so many great people over the course of the past year (Ronald Reagan, Yasser Arafat, Ray Charles, Marlon Brando, Rodney Dangerfield...aye, this is depressing ), and I'm not exactly willing to lose another one...I sincerely hope everything ends up in his favor. He's a tough pope, he should get through it...

[katif 0]

I'm not religious, but I still admire him, because he has been very strong.. He's so old and he has all kinds of health problems, but he still manages to do his job and he won't give up.

[krap 0]

from cnn:

ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II had a "tranquil night" and he is recovering from a respiratory infection that hospitalized him Tuesday night, according to a Vatican statement issued Thursday.
"The acute tracheal difficulty is in a phase of regression," while his condition was "registering a positive evolution," Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls.

Although he has not experienced any more spasms of his larynx -- which is what caused doctors to rush the pontiff to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic Tuesday night -- it was unclear how long he would remained hospitalized.

"The Holy Father spent a night of tranquil rest," Navarro-Valls said.

"The doctors will decide how many days he will stay in hospital," Navarro-Valls said.

Vatican sources said the pope is expected to deliver his regular Sunday address this weekend from the window of the hospital.

A source in the Vatican told CNN the pope's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is still scheduled for next week and they hope he will be able to keep the appointment.

The pope, who suffers from a number of chronic ailments, including Parkinson's disease, last appeared in public Sunday. His voice was hoarse, but he appeared to be in good spirits.

His health has been steady in recent months, and he looked in better health than during the summer and fall of 2003, when his trips to Croatia and Slovakia appeared to take a heavy toll on the frail pontiff.

The last time the pope canceled an event was September 2003, when he had an intestinal ailment.

The pope has undergone nine operations -- including a hip replacement -- and survived an assassination attempt.

i hope he gets better soon

[Zentron 0]

He's been a good pope, I hope he's OK after this visit. Although, as Eruntalon said, I don't think he's got much longer to live either, pity.Good luck popey!!!

[qarnita 0]

But right now the pope is in a good condition and he will be ok in few days. he says that when he meets the youths he will bregain his energy and he can meet the youths in the world youth day which is going to be held in cologne germany so every catholic to cologne.The World Youth Day Office in Cologne receives numerous inquiries about the recent hospitalization of the Pope John Paul II. The employees of the World Youth Day Office pray for the Pope. The journey of John Paul II to Cologne for the XX WYD is still firmly planned. Prelate Dr. Heiner Koch, Secretary General of the XX WYD 2005 declared, "We pray for a rapid recovery of the Pope. The Pope will come to Cologne. The preparations are still going on."XX World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne ? just in Cologne? Not at all! Days of Encounter all over Germany form a prelude to World Youth Day. From August 11-15, 2005, you are invited by the German dioceses ? from the coasts of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the Alps, from Aachen, a palatinate of former emperors, to Dresden ? to get to know more about the country and to meet its people. Didn?t you always want to know what everyday life is about in Germany and what people eat and whether everybody drinks beer? Are you are also interested in how Christians and non-Christians live in Germany? There is a lot to discover: internationally renowned sights such as the Brandenburg Gate, or less known but still fascinating places, romantic castles, beautiful museums, attractive landscapes along the North Sea, in the Alps, or along the Rhine. But above all, you have the opportunity to get to know a lot of people. Families and other people, are happy to open their houses to you. Your hosts will be happy to learn more about you and about the lifestyle and expectations of young Christians in other parts of the world. To learn from one another, to learn together, to learn about each other: that?s the whole point. For the universal Church is as colourful and varied as the nations. Each diocese prepares its own programme for the Days of Encounter, in cooperation with the local Ministries for Youth. In this way you will discover the regional characteristics. The programme will comprise visits, celebrations, liturgies, and a variety of activities: excellent opportunities to know each other. If you want more information about how the various dioceses are planning their Days of Encounter, have a look at their special WYD 2005 homepages.Fostering and stimulating partnershipsA great number of German parishes and dioceses have built partnerships with parishes all over the world. But cities, municipalities, and associations have also been fostering such partnerships. Therefore it might be very nice to spend the Days of Encounter in a partner parish. The World Youth Day Office in Cologne will take existing partnerships into consideration when assigning the various dioceses to the guests. Each diocese will then be responsible allocating the various parishes to the guest groups.

[quiksilver 0]

But right now the pope is in a good condition and he will be ok in few days.

 

That is a good thing.