Cardinal: Pope in "a bad way"

Reuters/Fox News ^

[Dog]

German Cardinal Says Pope 'In a Very Bad Way' Tue September 30, 2003 08:23 AM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the German head of the Vatican body which oversees doctrinal matters, was quoted on Tuesday as saying Pope John Paul was in very poor health and the faithful should pray for him. "He is in a very bad way," Ratzinger told Germany's Bunte magazine in an interview. "We should pray for the pope."

Ratzinger, who heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told the magazine that the 83-year-old pope had taken on too much, but he was unable to stop him.

The increasingly frail pope was particularly weak earlier this month on a trip to Slovakia and needed help reading his sermons. Last week, he skipped his general audience because of what the Vatican said was an intestinal problem.

Ratzinger's private secretary, Georg Gaenswein, said it was amazing how the pope, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease, kept going.

"He can't walk and stand anymore but he is a hero for the faithful. The fact that he doesn't give up despite his illness makes him even more credible," Gaenswein told Bunte.

He said the pope would not give up traveling. "When he is no longer allowed to travel, then dear God will come for him," Gaenswein said.

The leader of the world's one billion Roman Catholics, who marks his 25th anniversary next month, appointed 31 new cardinals on Sunday, possibly putting his last stamp on the group that will one day choose his successor.

[dglang]

I've just received an email from a close friend, Jim Bramlett, that contains the fo;;owing quote:

Quote: The rapidly declining health of Pope John Paul II makes one recall a prophecy delivered in 1963 at Garabandal, Spain. One of the then 14-year-old peasant visionaries, when informed of the death of Pope John XXIII, said: "Now only three popes are left", and, "one of those popes will have a very short reign". A few months later she reffirmed that the Blessed Virgin told her that "there will only be two more popes after Pope Paul VI". Pope John Paul I was the pope with the very short reign (1 month in 1978), thus verifying the visionary as a prophet of God (Deut. 18:21), and Pope John Paul II is that third pope. Unquote.

[newgeezer]

One need not believe in a deity to learn about being polite.

Absent a diety, your definition of polite is no better than mine. Your basis for polite vs. impolite -- right vs. wrong -- is temporal and subject to change. I guess I failed to make that point clear in my previous post. It could have saved you all that typing about peripheral trivia.

[bicycle thug]

He is a giant of the 20th Century. Just as the curtain drew down perceptibly on that span of time we were molded and glavanized by by the events of 9-11, so we shall see the same for his passing.

I remember only too well the day he was shot many years ago. It was one of the worst birthdays of my life. I was very heartened he lived.

He will have the legacy of not only being one of the best Popes ever, but one of the best human beings of his time.

Let the blessings be.

[presidio9]

JR told me to stay off this thread.

In that case I suggest you listen to him.

[Bob Eimiller]

Catholics "Revere" Mary we do not worship her.. The Hail Mary prayer is a 2 part prayer... the first part is the angel Gabriel proclaiming her to be the mother of Jesus...

the second part is an acknowledgement of the communion of saints ... those of us alive or those in Heaven...we ask Mary, the mother of God to pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death... we consider those we believe to be saints in heaven no differently than those of us on earth.. At the hour of my death I would certainly want the mother of God to be praying for me... especially if I can't pray for myself.

Finally... Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven... "You are "ROCK" and upon this "ROCK" I will build my Church...Whatever you loose on earth with be loosed in Heaven, whatever you hold bound will be held bound." (Confession? hmmm maybe...)

Peter..the first Pope consecrated Bishops and priests from the very beginning with the laying on of hands ..from Pope Peter 1 to John Paul 2 today... and unbroken chain of "tradition" and consecration from the "ROCK" (incidently...I believe Martin Luther was a monk..not a priest).

Tradition was the early Church...the first books of the New Testament weren't written until about 60 AD.

By the way..."The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" Pedophile priests included.

[Jack Black]

Please post a link or source for your claims. I assume the peasant girls mentioned are the Fatima children, correct? I have never seen this mentioned previously in connection with Fatima.

[Jack Black]

You haven't studied philosophy much, have you? There are many moral systems not based on belief in God. YOU may not like them, but to say they can't exist is absurd. Also GOD centered moral systems change greatly over time. Look at what was considered 'Christian' in 500 A.D., 1500 A.D. and now. Not very similar. Buddhism, as a single example created a moral system that was used in the east for over a thousand years to govern societies.

[DollyCali]

Hi all. posted & earlier & commented on the ATRW that this thread had the potential to get a little "testy"..

hmmmmmmmmmmm.

religious/spiritual/scriptual discussion has that potential.

To quote someone (we all agree) we DO NOT LIKE.... can't we all just get along?.....

:)

Bicycle thug... I am a bicycle mama...... like the pix / quote on your profile page.

Most of you had thougthful passionate posts/ comments. God bless you all. God loves us all....

[DollyCali]

Hi all. posted & earlier & commented on the ATRW that this thread had the potential to get a little "testy"..

hmmmmmmmmmmm.

religious/spiritual/scriptual discussion has that potential.

To quote someone (we all agree) we DO NOT LIKE.... can't we all just get along?.....

:)

Bicycle thug... I am a bicycle mama...... like the pix / quote on your profile page.

Most of you had thougthful passionate posts/ comments. God bless you all. God loves us all....

[DollyCali]

Hi all. posted & earlier & commented on the ATRW that this thread had the potential to get a little "testy"..

hmmmmmmmmmmm.

religious/spiritual/scriptual discussion has that potential.

To quote someone (we all agree) we DO NOT LIKE.... can't we all just get along?.....

:)

Bicycle thug... I am a bicycle mama...... like the pix / quote on your profile page.

Most of you had thougthful passionate posts/ comments. God bless you all. God loves us all....

[newgeezer]

Yeah, whatever. Philosophy or not, my statement stands. Absent a diety [who wrote the rules and promises to enforce them], your definition of [right vs. wrong] is no better than mine.

It has absolutely nothing to do with what men have done in His name.

[presidio9]

religious/spiritual/scriptual discussion has that potential.

I appreciate the sentiment Dolly, I really do. But we Catholics no more worship the Pope than we do Mary. Hence, this was never truely a religious/spiritual/scriptual discussion. A man many of us care about (Catholics and otherwise) is near death. Certain individuals tried to use this thread to advance personal agendas. As has been pointed out by several persons, that was in exceedinly poor taste. As long as people show some degree of sensitivity, good manners, and class, sure we can get along. I have friends in every religious denomination you can possibly think of.

[newgeezer]

In that case I suggest you listen to him.

How thoughtful of you.

[Jack Black]

"I thought that there was some prophecy given in ancient church history that indicated the number of 'pope' what would serve and that the next pope after this one is to be the 'imperfect pope', or the one that heralds Christ rerurn."

Someone else posted part of the Fatima prophecy (I think) that may be what you are thinking of.

An older and perhaps better known prophecy on the popes is that of St. Malachi.

Maelmhaedhoc O’Morgair (latinized to Malachy) was born in Armagh, Ireland in 1094. In 1148, he died in the company of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who was writing his biography (at the request of the Abbot of Mellifont.). This saint has become very well known on account of the prophecies he allegedly made regarding 112 future popes, while on a trip to visit to Pope Innocent II in Rome in 1139-40.

More about it at this link

According to this writing there is only to be two (or perhaps one) more popes. One is "Glory of the Olive" and the other "Peter of Rome". Here is some speculation on this: Future Pope?

[bicycle thug]

Thank you for your kind words, you brightened up the day. It is nice to know I am not the only one here with a bicycle fixation. (Nice CANnOndALE in your pictures by the way, us Klein owners always like the way they look as we smoke by them.) <./obligatory teasing>

Feel free to FReeper mail me if you want to talk about things like cycling. Who knows, perhaps it could even lead to a thriving thread on bicycling or road touring in the general interest forum. *GASP!* (To quote Col. Kurtz Oh, the horror...the horror )

[presidio9]

Here is a picture of Cardianl Joseph Ratzinger with the Holy Father. This picture was taken May 18th, 2003:

[mlmr]

Catholics have a different way about death than Prots and others. I speak as a cradle Catholic from a Stained Glass family who is now Prot. Catholics see no shame in infirmery and no celebration in death... at least not traditional Catholics...it is God's will and God's word to the end. In this perspective, the infirm have as much to teach us about bravery and righ living as the physically strong, perhaps more. That is the essence of Mother Theresa's message. And why the pope's battles towards death are valuable. For all life has dignity, even at its most difficult. I pray for Pope John Paul II.

[mlmr]

The prior, short-lived pope was Pope John-Paul. Prior to his reign, it was Pope PaulVI, and prior to this it was Pope JohnXXIII.

[LibKill]

I'm not Catholic (although many friends and relatives are), but I have always thought well of this Pope.

His moral stand against the real Evil Empire (Soviet Communism, for those who are too young to remember it), was nothing short of outstanding.

As for some of his objections to our U.S. policy in the last couple of years. I always reminded myself that he was getting on in years and that he was not an American.

He has done a lot of good. I'd put him up there with Reagan and Thatcher in worldly terms.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

Luther also removed Luke initially. Protestants later added it back. Not very inspired to take Luke away.