Vatican Confirms Pope Has Parkinson's Disease

Yahoo News (AP) ^ | 16 May 2003 | Yahoo News (AP)

[AmericanInTokyo]

By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II has used prayer to cope with his advancing age and Parkinson's disease, a top Vatican official said in published remarks Saturday — the first time a senior official has publicly acknowledged the pontiff suffers from the degenerative disease.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the Congregation of Bishops, made the comments in an interview with the Milan daily newspaper Corriere della Sera on the eve of the pope's 83rd birthday.

"If we want to look for the secret weapon that has allowed him to beat the years and Parkinson's, we must look to prayer: He puts himself in the hands of God and feels God and the Madonna (news - web sites) by his side in the path of life," he was quoted as saying.

Vatican has never officially attributed the source of the pope's trembling hands and slurred speech — typical symptoms of Parkinson's.

The cause of Parkinson's is unknown, but it results from the degeneration of nerve cells that produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is needed to control muscle activity.

Symptoms of the disorder, which afflicts about 500,000 Americans, include tremors, stiffness and a shuffling gait.

Vatican officials have cited the pope's need for privacy as the reason they have not described his physical condition.

Several years ago, papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who has a medical degree, said the pope may have an "extra pyramidal syndrome" — which could be one of many problems, including Parkinson's. Extra pyramidal refers to the part of the motor system that controls non-voluntary movement.

Doctors watching the pope from afar, however, have said the problem clearly was Parkinson's.

The pontiff also has crippling knee and hip ailments which have made it virtually impossible for him to walk.

Calls placed to the Vatican spokesman seeking comment on Re's remarks were not returned Saturday.

Despite his age and ailments, John Paul has appeared remarkably well in recent months — seeming stronger and speaking more clearly. The Vatican has attributed those improvements to more rest and physical therapy.

He still keeps up a vigorous work schedule and is due to make his 100th foreign trip — to Croatia — in June.

The Vatican also said there was a strong chance that John Paul in August would visit Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist Asian nation with a Catholic community of fewer than 200 people.

But in an interview with the La Stampa daily newspaper Saturday, Navarro-Valls said the threat of the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS (news - web sites), virus spreading through Asia might scuttle the visit.

"We haven't officially announced the visit. Mongolia might be included by the World Health Organization (news - web sites) among the countries at risk for SARS. We'll have to see," Navarro-Valls said.

The Vatican also was seeking agreement for a stopover in Russia en route to Mongolia — a visit long desired by John Paul as part of his efforts to promote greater Christian unity.

A Russia visit so far has been thwarted by opposition from Russia's Orthodox Church, which accuses the Roman Catholic Church of trying to gain converts in traditionally Orthodox lands in the former Soviet Union.

No pope has ever visited Russia.

[stands2reason]

bump

[goldstategop]

Parkinson's isn't pretty but it can be controlled with appropriate drugs. At his age its amazing the Pope has a full schedule that would tax a 15 year old's abilities. Then again at 83 you should be able to enjoy whatever years left God has given you.

[tdadams]

He puts himself in the hands of God and feels God and the Madonna (news - web sites) by his side in the path of life," he was quoted as saying.

If you click on that link in the Yahoo page, I don't think it was that Madonna this person was referring to.

[Pyro7480]

Yahoo! or the AP goofed! I'm surprised, really... (sarcasm). That pop "star" has helped corrupt our society and has abused a name that is venerated.

[wardaddy]

Parkinsons affect everyone differently. Some folks go for years with slight symptoms and the help of drugs.

Some dive right off the cliff and nothing helps and some are somewhere in between.

Parkinsons is really simply a generic label for a variety of neuro disorders that center around the lack of dopamine secretion is it not?

From what I've seen, the older...the quicker. It's been obvious to anyone that the Pope has had this for some time.

[AmericanInTokyo]

My goodness. What an interesting private FR profile page you have there, gc (or g?) -- AIT

[Salvation]

There must be two threads here.

I just did a Prayer Ping on this.

Hmmmmmm.

[Salvation]

Also posted in the Religion Forum - here.

[Salvation]

Prayer Ping!

Please notify me via Freepmail if you would like to be added to or removed from the Prayer Ping list.

[gcruse]

Thank you, AIT. I update it frequently. Ya'll come, ya heah?

[TrebleRebel]

My experience in working in nursing homes is that you are correct, it does affect different people in different ways. Some suffer very few physical symptoms but have severely impaired judgement. Since the symptoms seems so wide and varied, Parkinsons Disease is more like a neurological symptom group rather than a diagnosis in and of itself. I have known patients that never have 'shakes' or 'tremors'. In the end, 'old age' has many names.

[ActionNewsBill]

Parkinson's isn't pretty but it can be controlled with appropriate drugs.

I've heard that marijuana might help.

Nearly half of Parkinson's disease patients who have tried marijuana say the drug helped relieve their symptoms, according to a survey of patients with the degenerative neurological disorder. Dr. Evzin Ruzicka, an attending neurologist at Charles University in Prague in the Czech Republic, reported the findings here at the Movement Disorders Society's Seventh International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders.

Marijuana May Ease Parkinson's Symptoms

[wardaddy]

My 75 year old uncle has it. It hit hard but now it's stabilized a bit. He describes it as "telling my leg to move and my leg waiting 5 seconds or so to obey". He still has his wits largely.

[Mo1]

I will continue to pray for the Pope's health as I always have, but hasn't it been obvious for some time that the Pope has Parkinson's???

[Slyfox]

I don't think it was that Madonna this person was referring to.

Yep, there is a big difference between THE Madonna and that Madonna.

[P.O.E.]

Prayers for the Holy Father.

[Mustang]

Ditto to your "...It's been obvious..for a long time"

And, that explains why the Vatican social-justice-leftist crowd has the Pope stating their "type" of "sock puppet" talking points.

Mustang sends from "Malpaso News"

[Jeff Chandler]

>>My goodness. What an interesting private FR profile page you have there, gc (or g?) -- AIT<<

g seems to have a problem with the concept of religious prosciptions against certain behaviors. Telling, isn't it?