POPE TAKEN TO OPERATING ROOM!!!!! (Tracheotomy was a success)

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

FOX NEWS: Pope has been taken to operating room. Doctors preparing to operate.

[DBeers]

I wonder what God Almighty thinks of Popes anyway.

Why wonder -what did Christ think of Peter?

[AQGeiger]

Pneumonia is a common complication of influenza, especially in the elderly and other folks whose immune systems are not in top shape. Typically the strains that prey on individuals recovering from influenza, such as staphylococcus aureus, are very aggressive.

[Torie]

Thanks to you and all that took the time to respond to my query. I appreciate it.

[onyx]

I did.
Got the answering machine.

[onyx]

You're welcome.
I did hear another Vatican guy say that
a Pope "can" resign, but of his own volition:
be of sound mind and execute a written letter.

[Torie]

One would hope such a letter was written to avoid the conundrum I outlined. I wonder if such a letter would really effect an ex post facto resignation under cannon law. There probably is no precedent.

[onyx]

You're right.
According the fellow I just heard, there is NOT a precedent.

[hispanarepublicana]

Wow.. great photo..andi 'm a ''former" Catholic who's been thinking in the back of my mind about going back.

[jwalsh07]

Canon 335—When the Roman See is vacant, or completely impeded, no innovation is to be made in the governance of the universal Church. The special laws enacted for these circumstances are to be observed.

Have "special laws" been made? We don't know but that doesn't mean they haven't been. Personally, I think they have.

[Ethrane]

"I'm curious as to why a trach would need to be done in the OR."

Unless it's an emergency or the patient is too ill to move to the OR, the OR is the safest place to do an operative procedure just from a sterility standpoint and a control standpoint in case of an unforeseen disaster arises (such as an arterial bleed or loss of the airway).

[jwalsh07]

Canon 331—The office uniquely committed by the Lord to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, abides in the Bishop of the Church of Rome. He is the head of the College of Bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the Pastor of the universal Church here on earth. Consequently, by virtue of his office, he has supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church, and he can always freely exercise this power.

Canon 332—1° The Roman Pontiff acquires full and supreme power in the Church when, together with episcopal consecration, he has been lawfully elected and has accepted the election. Accordingly, if he already has the episcopal character, he receives this power from the moment he accepts election to the supreme pontificate. If he does not have the episcopal character, he is immediately to be ordained Bishop.

2° Should it happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns from his office, it is to be required for validity that the resignation be freely made and properly manifested, but it is not necessary that it be accepted by anyone.

Canon 333—1° By virtue of his office, the Roman Pontiff not only has power over the universal Church, but also has pre-eminent ordinary power over all particular Churches and their groupings. This reinforces and defends the proper, ordinary and immediate power which the Bishops have in the particular Churches entrusted to their care.

2° The Roman Pontiff, in fulfilling his office as supreme Pastor of the Church, is always joined in full communion with the other Bishops, and indeed with the universal Church. He has the right, however, to determine, according to the needs of the Church, whether this office is to be exercised in a personal or in a collegial manner.

3° There is neither appeal nor recourse against a judgment or a decree of the Roman Pontiff.

Canon 334 — The Bishops are available to the Roman Pontiff in the exercise of his office, to cooperate with him in various ways, among which is the Synod of Bishops. Car dinals also assist him, as do other persons and, according to the needs of the time, various institutes; all these persons and institutes fulfill their offices in his name and by his authority, for the good of all the Churches, in accordance with the norms determined by law.

---

Those are the 5 Codes of Canon Law that fall under the heading of "The Roman Pontiff". In the interest of completeness I thought you'd like a look see.

[Torie]

You think the Catholic Church has unpublished laws? Interesting. The word "impeded" is interesting in any event. I wonder who decides what that means, and the procedural modalities for applying it. Presumably it isn't SCOTUS. :)

How did you come up with that nugget?

[jwalsh07]

I have a "parochial" interest. :-}

[Torie]

Ya, I want those powers when I become President, and I want them to become inoperative then I cease to be President. Cheers.

[jwalsh07]

Set your sights higher, shoot for the Papacy. :-}

[Torie]

What I like about you, is that your "parochial" interests are about as far ranging as mine. We both have a childlike wonder about the planet in so many facets and our existence, and it impels us to dig here and there, and ask questions, and speculate, and it sometimes leads us to surprising places.

[Torie]

I would be a very interesting choice of the Cardinals indeed. I am not sure, inter alia, that most of the regular participants of the Catholic forum on this site would be pleased. :)

[jwalsh07]

LOL, gotta go get the Jeep cranked up and start plowing. Snows coming down pretty good. Which means the golf course remains out of reach. $%#^%^#^&@#$*&((@#&*#*(&!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Texaggie79]

I know, I laughed for about 5 min straight.

[CitizenM]

The surgery on Pope John Paul is similar to Cheif Justice Wm. Rehnquist's. I believe when we see the Pope next, we will see evidence of this. Do not be alarmed. Although this is serious, considering his Parkinson's and his age, the trach, itself, does not make him incapable of carrying on as the Head of the Catholic Church.

We will pray for his recovery while understanding God's will is to be done.

A tracheostomy tube is seen in Chief Justice William Rehnquist's throat as he administers the presidential oath to President Bush on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005. Rehnquist underwent surgery on his trachea after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer last October.