hottweelz
Dedicated LVC Member
By Chiara Remondini
March 30 (Bloomberg) -- Pope John Paul II appeared at the
window of his apartment at the Vatican to bless a crowd of pilgrims
gathered at Saint Peter's Square as concern increased about his
health.
The pope is receiving some food through a feeding tube in his
nose to ``increase his calories and contribute to a quick recovery
of his strength,'' the Vatican said in a note on its Web site. The
pope has only spoken once in public since undergoing a tracheotomy
on Feb. 24 to relieve breathing problems.
The 84-year-old pontiff moved his arms in the sign of the
cross today but failed to speak, images broadcast by media
including Sky showed. A Vatican official read a greeting from the
pontiff to the crowd.
Wednesday is the day the pope traditionally holds his weekly
public audience, but his frail health prompted the Vatican to
replace meetings with the public with appearances from the pope's
apartment. The crowd gathered in St. Peter's square beneath the
window of the pope's apartment called out his name before he
appeared in his wheelchair and waved.
John Paul II didn't read an Easter blessing for the first time
in his 26-year papacy on Sunday and seemed to gasp for air when
attempting to speak. The pope was hospitalized twice in February,
after influenza and larynx spasms caused breathing problems.
All future weekly audiences remained suspended, the Vatican
said today in its note.
Pope John Paul II may return to Rome's Gemelli hospital
because he's unable to swallow, Corriere della Sera said today,
without saying where it got the information. The Vatican declined
to comment on the reports and said in then note that the pope
remained under the care of his personal physician Renato
Buzzonetti.
--Editors: Davis.
Story illustration: For more about the Pope, click on
BBDP 14003616 <GO> . For the Vatican Web site, see
http://www.vatican.va/news_services.
March 30 (Bloomberg) -- Pope John Paul II appeared at the
window of his apartment at the Vatican to bless a crowd of pilgrims
gathered at Saint Peter's Square as concern increased about his
health.
The pope is receiving some food through a feeding tube in his
nose to ``increase his calories and contribute to a quick recovery
of his strength,'' the Vatican said in a note on its Web site. The
pope has only spoken once in public since undergoing a tracheotomy
on Feb. 24 to relieve breathing problems.
The 84-year-old pontiff moved his arms in the sign of the
cross today but failed to speak, images broadcast by media
including Sky showed. A Vatican official read a greeting from the
pontiff to the crowd.
Wednesday is the day the pope traditionally holds his weekly
public audience, but his frail health prompted the Vatican to
replace meetings with the public with appearances from the pope's
apartment. The crowd gathered in St. Peter's square beneath the
window of the pope's apartment called out his name before he
appeared in his wheelchair and waved.
John Paul II didn't read an Easter blessing for the first time
in his 26-year papacy on Sunday and seemed to gasp for air when
attempting to speak. The pope was hospitalized twice in February,
after influenza and larynx spasms caused breathing problems.
All future weekly audiences remained suspended, the Vatican
said today in its note.
Pope John Paul II may return to Rome's Gemelli hospital
because he's unable to swallow, Corriere della Sera said today,
without saying where it got the information. The Vatican declined
to comment on the reports and said in then note that the pope
remained under the care of his personal physician Renato
Buzzonetti.
--Editors: Davis.
Story illustration: For more about the Pope, click on
BBDP 14003616 <GO> . For the Vatican Web site, see
http://www.vatican.va/news_services.