CNN Breaking: Pope back to the hospital

[arcos]

They're saying that AP is reporting the Pope is back to the Gemelli Hospital.

No more details for now.


Edit: He is suffering from "flu like symptoms" again.

[DemBones DemBones]

1. Viva il Papa, praying for you.

I just saw him on tv about half an hour ago, with a story about him giving his Wednesday blessing by video. Footage showed him seated talking to the camera, people in St. Peter's Square watching on large screen.

[OKNancy]

2. Kick

:kick:

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Pope readmitted to Rome hospital

24 February, 2005

Pope John Paul II is returning to the Rome hospital where he was treated earlier this month for flu-related breathing problems.

The Vatican said he had suffered a relapse of his flu condition.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4293873.stm

[IndianaGreen]

11. There is no such thing as a "relapse" of flu

One gets the flu and then one either gets over it, or dies from it. I think the Pope's breathing problems may well be the last stages of Parkinson's.

[DARE to HOPE]

48. Well, THIS year's flu has relapsed...

Our parish is FULL of people who thought they were over the flu, then came down with the same symptoms 2-3 days later. And I and my family have experienced this ourselves. It has been baffling, EXTREMELY hard to get rid of, even throwing at it every immune boosting remedy we have. Makes me think of a "designer" flu handed to us by someone....

[Dcitizen]

63. Flu can reoccur, but

it's hard to believe Pope can get flu without public contacts.

Pope failed to convince American Catholics to vote for peace,
so how can he be healthy under God's eye if he cant protest more while the war president was speeching around Europe about his military powers and has Putin agreeing on "not democratics"...

Maybe it's Vatican's wisdom or God's will to help Pope.

[smirkymonkey]

105. However it could be a relapse of a bacterial infection in his lungs

that wasn't completely eliminated by prior treatment.

[SoCalDem]

4. I feel sad for the old guy, but geeeeez

Everybody gets old.. everybody dies.. even popes.. Even though I was raised Catholic, I always thought of him as "just another guy".. I never felt like he was "The Boss of The World"..

I REALLLLLLLLLLLY wish this "attention to religion" would start to wane, and SOON !!

[biftonnorton]

6. Well, That Explains The Insane Statements

made of late. Musta been out of his mind with fever.

[Misunderestimator]

20. if only that were the reason

[donheld]

85. It's a totally natural process

even with popes. 264 popes have come and gone, and the world is still standing. I think if i was this pope i'd wish for relief from the pain and agony his life must be by now.

[count_alucard]

5. I feel sorry for the thousands of elderly men and women

around the globe who don't have access to 1% of this man's medical attention. I wish the pope well, but what happens to him is really irrelevant.

[flordehinojos]

7. well... if you are catholic and you happen to believe in the rapture,

catholic rapturists (and therefore bush supporters) believe that the next to the last pope would be polish ... so, according to them... and the pope's failing health, the world doesn't have too much more to go before it ends.

[noonwitch]

14. I guess I better get that e-mail service set up that I saw on TDS

So that my friends and family can all be notified when I'm raptured up.

There is nothing in the Bible about the rapture, at least not in the "Left Behind" sense. There is a group of 144,000 martyrs who will be brought up to heaven, but first they get beheaded.

[megatherium]

15. I've heard this before --

Please remind me, where does the prophecy about the penultimate pope being Polish come from?

[Bariztr]

30. The Prophecies of St. Malachy

I think that his where this idea comes from. I'm not certain that it says the last pope would be polish, the prophecy basically says that there would be 111 popes, or 112 depending on how you read it, after Celestine II. That the prophecy identifies each pope and that this pope may be the next to the last one before the one identified as Gloria Olivae, (Glory of the Olives) becomes the final pope.

I read an interesting story that during the conclave which was to elect John XXIII, a certain Cardinal from the United States, (Cardinal Spellman of New York) evidently having taken Malachy's forecast that the next pope would be "pastor and mariner" literally, rented a boat, filled it with sheep and sailed up and down the Tiber.

Don't know if its true but it does make me chuckle.

[megatherium]

44. thanks! nt

[arcos]

67. Actually, Gloria Olivae is the next one...

John Paul II is De Labore Solaris, and the last one is Peter the Roman.

"In psecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oues in multis tribulationibus quibus transactis ciuitas septicollis di ruetur, & Iudex tre mêdus iudicabit populum suum. Finis."

[flordehinojos]

34. just from popular belief... which likes to rumor that when PiousXII opened

the letter Lucia (who just recently died) gave him which had been dictated to her by Mary ... the Pope fainted because among other things, it was predicting the end of the world. We ought to send JUDY WOOF WOOF who doesn't like to put up with any sort of DISCERNMENT, INSIGHT, PERCEPTION, ACUMEN OR PENETRATION into news reporting go and investigage what all this vox populii about end times is about ... she will, i am sure come up with facts, facts, facts that will disprove every end time prophecy ever told.

[megatherium]

43. Pius XII fainted when he read that letter

because contained the prediction that the Pope would be shot, according to the Vatican. Indeed, Pope John Paul II did get shot -- and he is devoted to the Marian Apparition at Fatima.

[flordehinojos]

83. oh! i stand corrected.

[kiraboo]

21. Maybe the next pope will be Polish too! n/t

[flordehinojos]

32. yes .... i thought about that as i was writing my post... i actually

wondered, "i wonder how many polish pope there are still to come? we could have ten or twelve dozen polish popes after the death of this current pope". The truth is no one knows when the end times will come... and i have heard many a priest say that, but vox populii (popular sayings) likes to spread end times things around.

[kiraboo]

I have a friend who is a "Marian". She visits the various places

where the Virgin reportedly appears. Yeah I know. Anyway, the apparition in Medjegorge (sp?)is supposed to have claimed that there was only one more pope after this one. I don't remember anything about nationality. Who knows? Normally I wouldn't give these messages any credence whatsoever but with the Shrub determined to start WWIII anything is possible.

[flordehinojos]

38. agreed.

[IndianaGreen]

59. St. Malachy prophecied 268 Popes for the Church

The current Pope is 266. Number 268 will lead the Church through the Tribulation.

266 John Paul II (1978-) 110 De labore Solis
(of the eclipse of the sun, or from the labour of the sun)
Hist.:Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920 during a solar eclipse. He also comes from behind the former Iron Curtain. He might also be seen to be the fruit of the intercession of the Woman Clothed with the Sun labouring in Revelation 12 (because of his devotion to the Virgin Mary).

267 ??? 111 Gloria olivae

268 ??? In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oues in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis ciuitas septicollis diruetur, & Iudex tremêdus iudicabit populum suum. Finis.
(In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.

http://www.catholic-pages.com/grabbag/malachy.asp

[distantearlywarning]

76. Actually, I believe he predicted 267.

I could be wrong, but I believe that Petrus Romanus was added in the twentieth century. I have also heard speculation that Petrus Romanus and Gloria Olivae are one and the same.

Could someone else with more info clarify?

[VegasWolf]

41. and maybe the easter bunny will hippity hop to church. n/t

[Jonathan_Hoag]

26. Did they believe that ...

before Karol Woytila got elected pope or is it something they invented post hoc. You know, like the identification of Russia/USSR as "Magog".

[flordehinojos]

35. I think I've heard that long before Karol Woytila got elected pope..some

rumor that's been around since the fifties (but maybe then it was just something like "the next to the last pope will not be Italian" without giving any specific nationality. the law of probabilities you know. and by the way, i don't like this Cardinal Sodano one bit... he looks like he is right up there with the bushes in terms of perpetrating some sort of coup d'etat on the pope even before the pope is dead.

[spunky]

37. Was Poland around when the Bible was written?

:tinfoilhat:

[VegasWolf]

40. Yes, saw a christian lawyer bilking people with a rapture clause

in their wills. A mere 700 dollars for the gullible.

[pokercat999]

62. Good, I can hardly wait for them to leave. nt

[FreeStateDemocrat]

8. A media distraction diverting attention from consequential stories

[IndianaGreen]

9. Arrivederci, Giovanni Paulus II

A controversial Papacy for sure! A great champion of the poor and innocent. A strong defender of life, and as a consequence, a strong opponent of war. His comment that if Britain and the US were to go into Iraq, they would do so without God, ranks among his finest. His comments equating abortion with the Holocaust and calling gays evil ranks among the most hateful statements since the Spanish Inquisition.

Watching this Pope die slowly while in great pain validates my conviction that the Church is dead wrong in its opposition to assisted suicide.

Let this man die in peace and dignity!

[AFSCME girl]

16. Very well said

IndianaGreen, thank you.

[Bridget Burke]

18. The Church is not against letting nature take its course.

The Pope has been ready to go for some time now. But he's a prisoner in the Vatican; they won't let him go naturally.

[jmcgowanjm]

22. I wonder if he has a "do not resuscitate" will

What if his handlers won't let him die.
They're out on a limb, and it's being cut.

Wonder where the pope stood on Terry Schiavo.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

50. Let's not forget

While that old crone, Mother Teresa, was having her coronary bypass surgery in a nice, clean American hospital, her "children," the people she and her minions ostensibly cared for, were dying in filth, without drugs or any significant medical care, because the old bat - encouraged by this Pope - believed that their "suffering brought them closer to god."

She also took a shitload of money from Charles Keating, the leader of the S&L scandal, and when an attorney for the plaintiffs, the depositors - common folk - who were trying to get even a tiny percentage of their money back, wrote to her asking her to return the ill-gotten and illegal donation of over a million dollars, he got no response.

Check out Christopher Hitchen's brilliant dissertation on this scam queen: "Missionary Position." A great book.

[jmcgowanjm]

78. Try finding John Paul I, Marcinkus, IOR in Google

I worked to get this:

John Paul I's death in 1978 after only 33 days as pope
fueled conspiracy theories that he did not die naturally in his
bed, as the Vatican said, but was eliminated. Some wondered if
the pope had information about an Italian banking scandal, in
which the Vatican bank was later found to be
involved.

In the late 1980s, the Vatican refused to turn over one of
its citizens, American Archbishop Paul C. Marcinkus, who was head
of the Vatican Bank, for investigation in that
scandal.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/world/10823926.htm

I know Marcinkus lives in Sun City AZ now.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

96. Here's something you might find interesting

Malachi Martin's book, "The Jesuits," is a treasure trove of information about the history, but mostly the latter-day evolution, of the Society of Jesus. This book addresses directly the matter of John Paul I's death. I believe it.

http://tinyurl.com/6yvch

I am Jesuit-trained, and I hold them in such esteem, but it's hard to overlook what's happened to the order. Martin's book is terrific. And heartbreaking.

The Vatican's got a lot to be proud of, don't you think?

[jmcgowanjm]

104. Loyola, huh? I stopped at HS

To write on a daily basis is a good
Jesuit trait.

Thanx, OldLeftieLawyer,
James

[OldLeftieLawyer]

106. To be smart on a daily basis

is another good Jesuit trait.

Wouldn't have missed them for the world.

You'll love that book, James.

[Merlin]

10. JP2 it's time to go, you vain, old, narrow-minded SOB

He did some good and some bad.

But, Jesus! He should have retired a decade ago. It's only supreme vanity and greed for power that keeps him in this position long after his fitness for it has passed.

[warrior1]

12. the evil

that is spewed from this man..well I hope you die well.

[leveymg]

13. Sounds like he has pneumonia that hasn't cleared up

The only thing to do is to readmit him.

[Minstrel Boy]

17. Pope John Paul II Rushed Back to Hospital

Pope John Paul II Rushed Back to Hospital

Feb 24, 2005, 08:15 AM EST

Vatican City(AP) The Vatican says Pope John Paul is suffering from the same breathing ailment that landed him in the hospital earlier this month. He was rushed back to a hospital in Rome on Thursday.

The Vatican says John Paul is suffering a relapse of the flu as well as congestion and a fever.

The pope's hospitalization comes one day after a 30-minute audience during which he wheezed and looked gaunt. It comes two weeks after he was released following treatment for his first bout with the virus.

...

An Italian news agency say the 84-year-old pontiff was conscious when he was brought in to the hospital on a stretcher, and people who saw him say he looked "quite relaxed."
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=2992353&nav=0RdEWlPc

[bleedingheart]

19. He looked so frail when he addressed that crowd this week...

I don't like his policies but I pray he goes peacefully...

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

23. According to a few Italian relatives

and Italian media sources, his condition appears to be a lot more serious than it is being let on by the Vatican, which is not surprising, as the Vatican looks and sounds more and more like the old USSR, when they used to announce some guy was doing great, had just the "flu" and lo and behold turns out this guy had been dead already.

I really can't say with 100% certainty that what the Pope has said in the past 10 years has been his own opinion. Knowing a bit about the inner workings of the Vatican, coupled with the Pope's Parkinsons, it is also very likely that the Pope's pronouncements are what the Vatican inner circle wants him to say in public.

As to the Pope as a man, I am not a Catholic, although I'm Italian. No one in my close and extended family (with a single exception)is/was Catholic, but I remember him very clearly coming to my city (Bologna) to visit its quite large Polish cemetery (Bologna was liberated by the Poles) and I saw him very closely, well before the hit on his life and the advent of the popemobile.

My grandfather actually helped him out on one of his many ski trips to the Alps on selecting a pair of skis that he liked.

[psychopomp]

24. A flawed person--but who isn't?

May the Most High shelter him in his time of need.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nolabels]

27. Hate is a reciprocal process

You should also understand they couldn't even hate him personally for they don't know him. They hate the doctrine and UNDEMOCRATIC exercise of the pulpit he represents. Could be a few other things too but they say as you sow you shall receive.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gatlingforme]

28. Well I certainly do not agree with the popes attitude that abortion

should be considered a crime, not permitting female clergy, not protecting young children from pedophiles he employees, intolerance of gays, etc.... (besides the fact that the vatican did not do much during Hitlers rampage) In any case we all have our opinions and I like hearing all of them.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

29. Don't worry. This "evil" lesbian wishes the Pope no ill

even though I object to being labeled evil by a man who harbored child abusers, sometimes transferring them out of the country so that they might escape justice.

[jonnyblitz]

31. he is an ignorant bigot. sorry the truth offends you

sorry your wife would be so touchy about criticism towards somebody from her country who also happens to be a very vile person to many of us. he is an ignorant bigot. If your wife would be turned off to the democratic party for something like this then I am sure there is a political party that doesn't criticize the pope and embraces his ugly views.

[Southern Dem 2005]

45. Actually, he is extremely intelligent

but bigoted. However, he has done more than any other international figure to promote care for the poor and peace. His views on abortion and homosexuality are somewhat flawed. The Democratic Party embraces many of the views of the Catholic church. I really wish people on here would quit telling people to leave the party if they don't agree with you. We are already a minority party.

[jonnyblitz]

54. well if people would quit threatening to leave the party

because of posts they dont like on DU (read the post I was responding to)then some of us wouldnt kindly open the door for them as they go..sorry if we dont all embrace bigots even if they did a few good things. mussolini made the trains run on time.

[Southern Dem 2005]

71. Didn't see the previous post

so I apologize. However, every single post I read on here has someone saying "well, if you don't like ____, you can become a Republican!" That's just silly and frankly its getting old. There are a ton of people on here who disagree with what I say and I don't want them to leave the Dem party. There are enough people leaving the party as it is. We need to get people to JOIN the party.

I'm not asking you to embrace a bigot, I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of Catholic Dems who respect the Pope. If you get everyone out of the party who fits that description Dems will never be in the majority--ever.

[NeoConsSuck]

95. He spoke out against killing innocent people..

simply because they had the misfortune of being citizens of an oil rich country.

And BTW, over 55% of the citizens in your piece of shit country supported the genocide.

The pope did a lot of wrong things. But he didn't kill people so amerikan citizens could turn around and steal their oil.

[Dookus]

33. I didn't pick a fight with the Pope....

he picked one with me.

[Bridget Burke]

52. Speaking of Sinead O'Connor

Eventually, Sinead O'Connor made her peace with the Pope. On 22 September 1997, in an interview with the Italian weekly newspaper Vita, she asked the Holy Father to forgive her. She claimed that her attack on the photo had been "a ridiculous act, the gesture of a girl rebel," which she did "because I was in rebellion against the faith, but I was still within the faith." Quoting St. Augustine, she went on to add, "Anger is the first step towards courage." Another courageous step Sinead took in the late 1990s was to join the congregation of the controversial Irish Bishop Michael Cox, who eventually ordained Sinead as a priest. Lacking a sense of humor, the Vatican has refused to recognize Sinead's membership in the priesthood, which the Pope considers "bizarre." This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but the Pope is right: Sinead's story is a bizarre one.

www.notbored.org/sinead.html

[Bo]

39. ...and the sun revolves around the earth

[DFWJock]

42. I guess

that flu is "evil" - just like gay marriage.

[Nikepallas]

46. If I may place my 2 cents in this thread

First off let me say I was raised catholic(but do not consider myself as such right now)

I honestly believe this poor man (with all his faults and greatness) did do a good job and that he should die a peacefully and painlessly as possible. I know I did not agree with his ideas all the time but I do believe he was trying to do good.

Now as for the end of days and the Fatima secret: What I was always taught was that my children's children would be great grand parents before the end of times. that was in the 70/80s. We (in general) have seen this religion go though many many transformations in a sense. In the first century woman where priestess and really if I read a book correctly help spread the faith more than their male counterparts of the day.

At one point we had Popes who recognized bastard children and used them to cement alliances much as royal families in Europe did. We at one point had something like 3 popes at one time because of a difference in viewpoint--the other two where then demonetize when the winner got to write history.

Is it not time for the catholic church to not re-invent itself once again? Now this is where the Fatima secret comes into play. I have a couple friends who have a few different theories and believe me the idea of a pope being killed is not some big secret that needed to be sat on for a good 80 years.

One theory--that the Vatican will lose it power and their will be a council of bishops instead of a Pope

Theory 2-- that in fact the pope will be a woman who will bring great changes in the Vatican's thinking.

who knows. my personal thoughts: everyone is so frighten of dying and also so into this rapture idea that they are forgetting the greatest gift God (Or goddess, Supreme Couple,Buddha, Allah, etc) the chance to learn and to better ourselves. I personally believe this earth is like a big classroom and we are quickly failing in our greatest lesson;learn to love one another AND RESPECT one another no matter looks beliefs or gender.

People forget that when the book of Revelation was written it was a VERY dark period in Christian belief. They were in a sense considered this radical cult by most established religions and not only that people honestly believe it would happen within the life of the Roman empire and within a hundred years of Jesus Ascension into heaven.
Just my thoughts

[Bunny]

51. Hey! Good to see you back!

:hi:

[Bridget Burke]

53. The Church has managed to survive a number of centuries....

Another lapsed Catholic here, hoping for change.

[IndianaGreen]

47. CNN (and ABC in a GD thread) are reporting Papal tracheotomy

being imminent.

This is not the flu, but the final stages of Parkinson's.

[IndianaGreen]

49. REUTERS: Pope Taken to Operating Room

Reports: Pope Taken to Operating Room
Thu Feb 24, 2005 02:21 PM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Pope John Paul has been taken to an operating room in Rome's Gemelli hospital and might have surgery to help him breathe more easily, Italian media said on Thursday.

A television report said earlier that doctors were considering performing a tracheotomy, where a small opening is cut into the neck and the windpipe so air can directly flow into the lungs.

Sky Italia television and state broadcaster RAI both reported that "everything was ready for a tracheotomy" and said the 84-year-old Pope was already in the operating theater.

REUTERS

[truthpusher]

55. Pope's Doctors Consulting Over Tracheotomy

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050224/D88F2GC00.html

Pope's Doctors Consulting Over Tracheotomy

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Doctors were consulting about the possibility of performing a tracheotomy on Pope John Paul II, who was hospitalized Thursday after suffering fever and congestion from a recurrence of the flu, a news agency reported.

ANSA, an Italian news agency, said doctors were considering the procedure in which a hole is made in the throat and a tube is inserted to assist breathing. The report did not cite sources.

The 84-year-old pontiff, who appeared to have rebounded strongly after being hospitalized with the flu and breathing problems earlier this month, was rushed to the hospital again Thursday.

During his 10-day hospitalization earlier this month, the Vatican said John Paul did not require a tracheotomy.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050224/D88F2GC00.html

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

56. His time is fast approaching...

I hope the people around him will be able to let him go peacefully. Of course, with the Vatican, we probably won't know how things really are until much much later.

[nadinbrzezinski]

57. For fans of Nostradamus

he is the last pope before the rise of the Antichrist...

Discuss among yourselves....

[Connie_Corleone]

58. The rapture should be happening anytime now. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

60. The Pope will die. Bush will be revealed as the Beast of Revelation.

We are at the halfway point of the 7-year Tribulation period. The Second Coming will take place in 2008 when the forces of Darkness are defeated and a Democrat enters the White House.

I don't believe in any of that Christian eschatology, but it does seem to jive nicely with current events.

[dave29]

61. as predicted in his quatrain

the white hat shall fall
red scourge upon the earth
terror fills the hearts of men
unless I am wrong

[pelagius]

64. May he pass in peace without suffering and...

...may his successor guide the Church to a new era of love, understanding, and acceptance for all God's children.

[hezekkia]

73. right on. n/t

[drummer55]

65. since he's the infallible representative for a god

shouldnt he be able to take care of himself or at the very least wait for a miracle?

[hickman1937]

101. He's only infallible in Doctrine.

If he says that german shephards are the best dogs on the planet, it doesn't qualify.

[VegasWolf]

107. Right, like when he says homosexuality and abortions are mortal sins. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

66. CNN just reported that the tracheotomy had already taken place

Pope reported as being very frail.

[Zenlitened]

68. NBC reporting the same right now. - n/t

[Misunderestimator]

69. Yep, just got an MSNBC alert saying the operation is complete

[IndianaGreen]

70. Heads ups! CNN is alerting to an upcoming live update from hospital

by a Vatican official. CNN will carry it live.

[Walt Starr]

72. That's not good

The official Vatican updates usually occur once each day at noon. We should have been many hours away from another update from the Vatican.

[IndianaGreen]

74. Perhaps it is to allay the fears of the faithful

The Vatican has been relatively open about this Pope than it was for its predecessors. Who can forget Pius XII's endless encounters with death and his "miraculous" recoveries, including the one by an appearance of the Virgin Mary.

[Walt Starr]

75. Yes but in every case in the past with this pope

the Vatican had one update daily at noon. That would be several hours from now, so to break with that and put out an update in what is currently the late evening in Rome would certainly be a break from what has happened in the past.

[lovuian]

77. If they put this poor man on a ventilator I will be so angry!!!

We all die let him die peacefully!!! He's in his 80's

I can't believe they are doing a trach!!! This is almost desperation to keep him alive for what???

[bluedog]

81. SORRY.YEAH BUT

SORRY.YEAH BU



he's an old man....he won't live forever.........and the media keeps running with this story.over and over and over again...how many times can they say the same thing..........thats the trouble with the media.they play items up and people just get sick and tired of listening to them.....as if there isn't any other news going on........

[cal04]

79. Update After Surgery

POPE John Paul II underwent a successful tracheotomy to relieve his breathing difficulties this morning.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro Valls said the half-hour operation "went well and ended positively".

The spokesman said the 84-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church would spend the night in his room at the Gemelli hospital in Rome.

A tracheotomy creates a temporary opening in the windpipe to relieve breathing problems.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12366204%255E1702,00.html

[anarchy1999]

80. We only havc two more popes to go. One after this one and then

the end. The really bad one. I have links, I just don't feel like looking them up now.

[arcos]

82. here...

http://www.goroadachi.com/etemenanki/malachy.txt

[pelagius]

84. I was dearly hoping that Catholics are much more sensible...

...about the soon-to-come "end times" than the wingnut evangelical Protestants, but I guess apocalyptic paranoia is deep-rooted in the psyche of many, regardless of creed.

[DARE to HOPE]

86. That's Bush's fault...

[pelagius]

87. Hah! You're right! ;-) n/t

[shochet]

88. According to Nostradamus...

there's only two more popes left after this one goes.:shrug:
http://www.newagedirectory.com/pro/malachy.htm

[anarchy1999]

89. I think Edgar Cayce said it as well. I could be wrong.

But there was a pope, many years ago that fortold this all. Never wrong yet. I don't remember the Pope's name or when he was Pope. Sorry.

[Name removed]

90. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

91. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lovuian]

92. I can't believe it they put him on a Ventilator!@#$%^&*

Pope Has Tracheotomy, Now on Respirator



http://story.news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&tmpl=fc&in=World&cat=Pope_John_Paul_II

Pope John Paul II underwent a successful operation to insert a tube in his throat to relieve his breathing problems, hours after he was rushed back to the hospital Thursday for the second time in a month with flu-like symptoms of fever and congestion, the Vatican said. The pontiff was conscious in his hospital room after the tracheotomy, breathing with the help of a respirator, the Italian news agency

more...

Conscious but extremely sedated!!! thats an exageration they keep you well sedated if your on a vent...

This is a absolute travesty !!!

[pelagius]

93. He's old, he's sick, and he's going to die...

...if not this time around, soon enough.

I wish him peaceful passage and the Catholic Church a pope who affirms the dignity and worth of all God's children no matter how or whom they love.

[lovuian]

94. Why not let him get to heaven faster!!! Why prolong this agony!!!

I just don't understand this He could quietly die in his bed peacefully!!!

This just gives me the feeling that there is fear in the Vatican about letting this pope die peacefully!!!

I can't figure it out!!!

[Ian David]

98. He's waiting until he's vested in the Vatican pension plan eom

[Ian David]

99. Why should someone who has caused so much suffering go peacefully?

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage against the dying of the light.

Fight, Pope, Fight!

[Ian David]

97. Pope has emergency operation after breathing crisis

VATICAN CITY, Feb 25 (Reuters) Pope John Paul underwent emergency surgery to help him breathe more easily after he was rushed to hospital for the second time in a month with acute respiratory problems.

The Vatican said in a statement that the tracheotomy was a success, but the 30-minute operation raised the prospect that the Roman Catholic Church's great communicator might not be able to speak again for months, if at all.

A tracheotomy involves cutting a small opening into the neck and windpipe so air can flow directly into the lungs. The timing of the operation -- carried out in the evening -- indicated that doctors were deeply concerned about the Pope's breathing after a relapse of the flu.

''The operation, which began at 8:20 p.m. local time (2350 hrs IST) and ended at 8:50 p.m. local time (0020 hrs IST), ended successfully. The immediate post-operative progress is regular,'' the Vatican statement said yesterday.

More:
http://www.deepikaglobal.com/latestnews.asp?ncode=25824

Well, wouldn't it be ironic if The Poop ended-up brain-dead on the respirator and nobody would pull the plug?

[lonestarnot]

100. Think the pope is pooped. n/t

[lovuian]

102. Heres where the Newspapers are crap!!! Pope on Ventilator

he's sedated so who is REALLY RUNNING THE CHURCH???

The pope doesn't have a Vice President voted on by the other cardinals

Its somebody who is REALLY in charge because anybody think this Pope is running things from a Ventilator is deranged!!!

and Journalists are not talking that one up!!!

I think people need to read Dan Brown's Angels & Demons for a big headsup!!!

[spinbaby]

103. Fully in charge

One of the more bizarre moments in this whole thing was when a church official insisted that even though the Pope was on a ventilator, he was still fully in charge of the Catholic church. I suppose now that he's off the ventilator, he's even more in charge.