NEW POPE ELECTED
11:37 AM PST – AP, Reuters / Flash from the Vatican
Pope John Paul II is dead.
The news was conveyed in an e-mail to the world’s media by papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. The message was simple, “The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. (2:37 p.m. EST) in his private apartment.”
The Pope — known for his energy, intellectualism and activism on the global stage — died Saturday night at his apartments in the Vatican. His health had been deteriorating severely for several weeks and he had battled Parkinson’s disease and crippling arthritis for years.
The Vatican said Saturday morning that John Paul II had slipped in and out of consciousness after his heart and kidneys started to fail after a urinary tract infection.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said that despite his precarious health, the pope had decided to remain in his residence at the Vatican, rather than returning to Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he had been hospitalized twice since February.
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12:00 AM PST / 10 AM in Vatican City
Vatican press office reopens after being closed for a few hours. Rumors continue that a statement will be coming from the office at any time. There is no indication at this time that the statement will be an announcement of the death of Pope John Paul II.
12:08 AM PST: Pope conscious, sources say
A Polish priest, citing Vatican sources says the pope is in stable condition and has not lost consciousness.
“I have information from the Vatican from a half an hour ago. The Pope is in serious, but stable condition. The Pope has not lost consciousness,” Father Konrad Hejmo, a close friend of the Pope’s, told Reuters.
Vatican Press Office announces a press briefing which will get underway @ 1:30 AM PST / 11:30 AM in Vatican City
(12:26 AM PST: That’s it for me. It’s bed time. I’ll pick this up again in a few hours. More later.)
9:29 PST: Pope weakens as world braces for his death
Pope gravely ill; losing consciousness
Bush: Pope an “Inpiration”
President Bush calls Pope John Paul II was “a faithful servant of God and a champion of human dignity and freedom.”
“He is an inspiration to us all,” Bush says in his weekly radio address. “Laura and I join millions of Americans and so many around the world who are praying for the Holy Father.”
The president has received regular briefings about the pontiff’s condition since the pope’s health began deteriorating Thursday.
Vatican Update
In a written statement, the Vatican says Pope John Paul II remains in very grave condition with a high fever, but that he continues to respond “correctly” when addressed by aides.
Funeral Planning
New signs that a major funeral is imminent are being seen in Rome, as the city makes plans to accommodate tens of thousands of pilgrims expected to descend on the Vatican in the coming days.
Portable toilets and extra ambulances appeared in greater numbers near the Vatican during the day Saturday and the city transport system said it was increasing service on bus and subway lines which stop at St. Peter’s, the Associated Press reported.
City officials also lined up fairground pavilions and sport stadiums to house the faithful, and the Italian state railway said it would add additional trains to bring pilgrims to Rome.
10:44 AM PST: Condition may not be worsening
Dr. Peter Salgo, associate director of the intensive care unit at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, tells the Associated Press that the reference to fever in the latest Vatican statement doesn’t necessarily indicate that the pope’s condition is worsening.
“This is not a turn for the better, but it doesn’t mean he’s getting worse,” he is quoted as saying. “Fevers come and go and it is often the last thing to go away when you get over an infection. You can still have a fever in response to antibiotics.”
How does the Catholic Church verify the Pope’s death?
John Paul II: A Life Well Lived
Wikipedia entry – Pope John Paul II
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Pope John Paul II, 1920 – 2005
Pope John Paul II, leader of the Catholic Church and one of the world’s great all-time leaders, has died in his apartment in Vatican City.The Pontiff’s health has been failing for quite sometime, as he has battled Parkinson’s Disease and…