Health of Pope John Paul II Continues to Deteriorate

Pope John Paul II has had several successive days of markedly waning health, and media reports from an Italian news agency were mentioned on Vatican radio that the pope had suffered a heart attack and fallen into a possible coma. But Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls denies the media reports and says that the 84-year old pontiff suffered cardiocirculatory collapse and septic shock on Thursday. Navarro-Valls said the pope’s blood pressure is unstable, but his condition is stationary, and he is "lucid, fully conscious, and very serene." He said that the pope has been informed of the gravity of his situation, but because of his desire to remain in his residence rather than the hospital, he is being treated in the Vatican.

As the pope’s health deteriorated on Thursday night, the media reported that he had received the Catholic Church’s Anointing of the Sick sacrament, formerly known as the Last Rites or Extreme Unction. A Vatican source said the ritual is one of healing, and is given to patients who are seriously ill or near death. The pope has received the sacrament once before, in 1981 when he was wounded in an assassination attempt. The news of the pope’s worsening condition was announced just two days after a feeding tube was inserted through his nose to provide more nutrition, since he was having difficulty swallowing due to a tracheotomy performed five weeks ago when he was recovering from a bout of influenza that forced him to be hospitalized.

The pope celebrated a Mass early Friday morning, and later entertained visitors, including several cardinals and the Vatican’s secretary of state. He was aware that it was Friday, the day he traditionally follows the ritual of the Stations of the Cross, and he asked for the Holy Scriptures to be read to him. Navarro-Valls said that despite his recent setbacks, the pope appears to be responding well to antibiotic treatment for a urinary tract infection that caused him to develop a fever. "The pope is being assisted by his personal doctor, Renato Buzzonetti, as well as two intensive care specialists, a cardiologist and an ear, nose and throat specialist, as well as two nurses," Navarro-Valls said. The pope’s health has steadily worsened over the past several years, and he suffers from several chronic illnesses including Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that can cause difficulty in swallowing and breathing. Crippling hip and knee ailments have also limited his ability to engage in public appearances.

During the Holy Week preceding Easter, the pope was forced to miss several key events related to the week because of his failing health. On Wednesday, during his weekly general audience with the public, the pope appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter’s Square, but he was there for less than five minutes. During that time he used hand gestures to bless the thousands of people who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square for a glimpse of him, but he was unable to speak. On Easter Sunday, the pope tried to speak to an assembled crowd but was unable to get the words out, so instead he made the sign of the cross with his hand. On Monday the pontiff was unable to attent the post-Easter Queen of Heaven prayer for the first time ever in his 26-year papacy. The pope’s appearance on the Monday after Easter traditionally marks the end of the celebrations of Holy Week.

Around the world, Roman Catholics continue to pray for the pope’s recovery.