Pope John Paul II Has Gone to His Heavenly Home with God 2:37 pm EST

BBC News Online World Edition ^ | April 1, 2005

[bd476]

April 2, 2005 7:25 a.m. PST Update

From Rome CBS Radio News: (rough transcription of update)

The Vatican has been transparent in allowing news media access to information about Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II is responsible for the change in how the Vatican views the media.

At this time, Pope John Paul II's condition is unchanged.

His heart and kidneys are failing. The Vatican said that this does not suggest that he is suffering.

He has a compromised state of consciousness, yet he is not in a comatose state.

He drifts in and out of consciousness. One Vatican source said that it appeared that the Pope is resting with his eyes shut.

Pope John Paul II has responded by opening his eyes when spoken to. He has also tried to speak in the past few hours.

An Aide assisted Pope John Paul II in writing a message to his beloved staff gathered in the Papal apartment. The Pope asked them not to be sad for him.

____________________

Special report live from CBS News at the Vatican April 2, 2005

(This is a rough transcript of the CBS news conference with the Italian translator and Vatican representative)

Substantially and varied (blood values?) very serious very grave

We hope to serve ... earlier initial state of consciousness AT 7:30 a.m. we celebrated of Mass with the Pope he is breathing, labored or slightly...

Pope had in mind young people...

This is difficult ...

Pope seemed to refer to young people when he repeatedly seemed to say "I've been looking for you and now you've come to me... "

We've been able to reconstruct what he said, this is what he said.

We have this update now for you until this evening...

I cannot confirm the particular rumors ... (inaudible)

Probably around 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. we will have another update for you...

He is not in a coma.

When we speak to him he opens his eyes.

He seems to be receptive.

We are not talking about coma here.

Question from media: Who is always present with the Pope?

Answer: Monsignor (inaudible) the other Secretary to the Holy Father the three Nuns of the Holy Father, his personal physician.

Thank you very much and we will see you later.

________________________

'Serious' Pope has heart failure

Pope John Paul II has suffered a cardiac arrest and is in a grave condition, the Vatican has announced.

The urgent communique came hours after the Pope's health worsened with a high fever caused by an infection.

"Following a urinary tract infection, septic shock and a cardiocirculatory collapse occurred," Vatican spokesman Navarro-Valls said in his statement.

The Pope was also given the last rites - the Catholic sacrament for the sick and dying, the spokesman said.

But he said the pontiff remained "conscious, lucid and tranquil".

The emergency department chief at Rome's Gemelli hospital said on Thursday the Pope would not be taken to hospital for the time being.

Some observers said this suggested it meant he was too weak to be moved at all.

Sombre mood

Small groups of faithful gathered at St Peter's Square in Rome to pray for the Pope's speedy recovery.

However, the mood in the Vatican is sombre, the BBC's David Willey in Rome reports.

Prelates are openly expressing pessimism about the possibility of the Pope ever resuming the guidance of his one billion-strong church, our correspondent says.

The pontiff is being fed through a nasal tube to aid his recovery from throat surgery last month.

The Pope had appeared briefly at the window of his Vatican apartment on Easter Sunday to bless the faithful, but was not able to speak.

It was the first time during his 26-year pontificate that the Pope delegated the main Easter ceremonies to his cardinals.

'Lost weight'

On Thursday afternoon, the Pope's temperature soared to 40 degrees C (104F), Italian media reported.

He developed breathing troubles and has difficulty in swallowing as a result of the progress of Parkinson's Disease, an incurable condition from which he has been suffering for nearly a decade.

Since his throat surgery, he has lost about 19 kg (42 lb), Father Hejmo said, which leaves him more vulnerable to infections.

The Pope's private doctor Renato Buzzetti is in charge of his medical treatment in his private apartment at the Vatican.

So far this year the Pope has had two spells in hospital where he received treatment for breathing problems and underwent an operation on his throat.

[Petronski]

And since & is an html code, you'll also need to use <p> to make your own paragraph breaks.

[bd476]

One more try... <purple> HA! It worked. Thank you Petronski!

[onyx]

LOL!
She's getting silly...lol.
Sleep deprivation?

[Petronski]

I learned EVERYTHING I know about html right here at FR. I'm happy to 'pay it forward.'

[bd476]

That may have something to do with it, LOL.

[onyx]

Get some rest!
Will telephone with any SAD news!

[Petronski]

Here's one I just learned. If you want vertical space

like this, you can't use a bunch of <p>s, it doesn't work.

But, if you use <p><br><br><br><br> you get vertical space. The 'br' stands for break, as in 'line break.' Neat, huh?

[Petronski]

You're going to use a lot of color now, aren't you?


heh heh heh

[onyx]

Ya think?

[bd476]

What a lovely shade of green!
Is it a jewel color?
Is that the color of a fruit?
Is it something I could eat in a salad or in a sandwich?

[onyx]

Go to bed or to your couch!

[bd476]

Gone, LOL!

[Petronski]

Thanks for making me laugh, ladies.

[onyx]

She says she getting out her eye shades...lol.
I told her I don't need eye shades... that I can
fall asleep ANYWHERE during the daytime... it's
at night when I have trouble sleeping...LOL.

[bd476]

Bells ringing in St. Peter's Square. But not the bells.

I hope he rallies.

[onyx]

WHAT?
PMSNBC said he's died!

[ruoflaw]

He has?

[onyx]

Yes, he's gone.

[Mo1]

FNC REPORTING THE POPE HAS JUST DIED

[ruoflaw]

Oh