What is the Popes current state of health?
The latest communique by the Vatican says the Holy Father’s heart and kidneys are failing, his blood pressure and pulse are unstable, and his breathing is shallow. Vatican officials have been making regular statements since the Pope’s health worsened with a high fever caused by an infection. On Thursday he received the Saint Viaticum, the Catholics’ last rites for the sick and dying, a spokesman said. Why is he ill? The 84-year-old pontiff’s health declined rapidly on Thursday when he developed a high fever brought on by a urinary infection. POPE’S HEALTH SCARES May 1981 – shot in stomach and hand during assassination attempt in St Peter’s Square July 92 – undergoes surgery to remove intestinal tumour 92 – symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear Apr 94 – suffers broken right thigh bone Dec 95 – misses Christmas mass for the first time because of flu Oct 96 – undergoes surgery to remove appendix Feb 05 – has week in hospital after falling ill with flu, readmitted after relapse two weeks
