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the crux of Buckley's argument is that the Pope is no longer useful (wrong on that, anyhow) and therefore, his continued existence is no longer needed.

He's not saying anything of the kind. Maybe you should read the article again.

What to do includes clinging to the papacy as a full-time cripple, if medicine, which arrested death by only 10 minutes, can arrest death again for weeks and even months. But the progressive deterioration in the pope's health over the last several years confirms that there are yet things medical science can't do, and these include giving the pope the physical strength to coordinate and to use his voice intelligibly.

So, what is wrong with praying for his death? For relief from his manifest sufferings? And for the opportunity to pay honor to his legacy by turning to the responsibility of electing a successor to get on with John Paul's work?

It's called sanctity of life - even that of the crippled and suffering. There's zero evidence that the pope is senile. If the pope is comfortable with having the will to live and continue his work in spite of his sufferings, why is everyone else so UN-comfortable with it?