I agree and it is sort of a knee jerk reaction to condemn a man who has done so much for all of us. I think Buckley is simply saying that when someone's time comes, it is God's will not ours and to not pray for his recovery is not that terrible. When people I have known who have suffered from incurable illness, some worse than what the Pope has had and some not, I have felt that it was their time to go and did not pray for their recovery, only for an end to their suffering.
By nature, we all wish to see those that we love, and suffer from terminal conditions, recover from medical emergencies like cardiac arrests, etc. However, we must weigh what we feel is best for ourselves against what we feel is best for them in the light of God's will. This is not a form of fatalism. Rather, it is a realization that life is God's to give and take away.
Ref. post #47....Well said. Thank you.