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Harkoliar · 04-02-2005, 05:28 AM

Im sure all of you know by now but I wish to ask all of you give your prayers and well wishes in your own way as Pope John Paul II is near death and will probably not live long. He has been an influencial figure and spiritual figure head who has not only affected Cahtolics but other religions as well. I only wish that his passing will be painless.

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VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II's condition remains "very grave," and he is showing the first signs of losing consciousness, the Vatican said Saturday.

The 84-year-old pope's health has rapidly deteriorated, with his heart and kidneys failing after he suffered a urinary tract infection.

But John Paul is not technically in a coma and opens his eyes when spoken to, papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters. He said the pope was still speaking as of late Friday.

"Mass was celebrated at 7:30 this morning in the presence of the pope," he said, adding that the pontiff did not take part.

"Sometimes it seems as if he were resting with his eyes closed, but when you speak to him, he opens his eyes," Navarro-Valls said.

He said aides had told the pope that thousands of young people were in St. Peter's Square on Friday evening.

"In fact, he seemed to be referring to them when, in his words, and repeated several times, he seemed to have said the following sentence: `I have looked for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you,'" the spokesman said.

John Paul's overall condition, which began declining Thursday, remained unchanged, the Vatican said.

"The general cardio-respiratory and metabolic conditions are substantially unvaried and therefore very grave. Since dawn this morning there have been first signs that consciousness is being affected," Navarro-Valls said.

Tourists and pilgrims streamed anew into St. Peter's Square on Saturday, and around the world, priests readied Roman Catholics for the pope's passing. Many expressed hope that his final hours would be peaceful.

"Now he prepares to meet the Lord," Cardinal Francis George said at a Mass in Chicago on Friday. "As the portals of death open for him, as they will for each of us ... we must accompany him with our own prayers."

A workman in the square, declining to give his name, told The Associated Press that crews were taking down the canopy on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, which had covered an altar during Easter Sunday Mass. They said they had orders to clear the space for when the pope's coffin eventually is carried into the square.

Police in a motorized cart moved around the square, telling some faithful who were kneeling on the cobblestones to get up. Police said they were given orders that no one be allowed to sit or pray on the pavement in the square.

In a sign of the pope's decline, several cardinals from the United States and Latin America said they were heading to Rome. After the official mourning period following the death of a pope, cardinals hold a secret vote in the Sistine Chapel to choose a successor.

A dozen nuns said the rosary Saturday while standing at the foot of the obelisk in St. Peter's and looking at the pope's windows. They had just attended a morning Mass at the basilica.

Sister Arlete said she felt both sadness and happiness: "Sadness because he's dying, but happiness that his suffering will end, because he's truly suffering. He's a spiritual father who helps us grow in life with so much love and peace."

The Il Secolo XIX newspaper of Genoa reported that the pope, with the help of his private secretary Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, wrote a note to his aides urging them not to weep for him.

"I am happy, and you should be as well," the note reportedly said. "Let us pray together with joy."
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[ 04-02-2005, 06:23 AM: Message edited by: Harkoliar ]

04-02-2005, 05:28 AM	#1
Harkoliar Jack Burton Join Date: March 21, 2001 Location: Philippines, but now Harbor City Sydney Age: 42 Posts: 5,556	Im sure all of you know by now but I wish to ask all of you give your prayers and well wishes in your own way as Pope John Paul II is near death and will probably not live long. He has been an influencial figure and spiritual figure head who has not only affected Cahtolics but other religions as well. I only wish that his passing will be painless. --------------------- VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II's condition remains "very grave," and he is showing the first signs of losing consciousness, the Vatican said Saturday. The 84-year-old pope's health has rapidly deteriorated, with his heart and kidneys failing after he suffered a urinary tract infection. But John Paul is not technically in a coma and opens his eyes when spoken to, papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters. He said the pope was still speaking as of late Friday. "Mass was celebrated at 7:30 this morning in the presence of the pope," he said, adding that the pontiff did not take part. "Sometimes it seems as if he were resting with his eyes closed, but when you speak to him, he opens his eyes," Navarro-Valls said. He said aides had told the pope that thousands of young people were in St. Peter's Square on Friday evening. "In fact, he seemed to be referring to them when, in his words, and repeated several times, he seemed to have said the following sentence: `I have looked for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you,'" the spokesman said. John Paul's overall condition, which began declining Thursday, remained unchanged, the Vatican said. "The general cardio-respiratory and metabolic conditions are substantially unvaried and therefore very grave. Since dawn this morning there have been first signs that consciousness is being affected," Navarro-Valls said. Tourists and pilgrims streamed anew into St. Peter's Square on Saturday, and around the world, priests readied Roman Catholics for the pope's passing. Many expressed hope that his final hours would be peaceful. "Now he prepares to meet the Lord," Cardinal Francis George said at a Mass in Chicago on Friday. "As the portals of death open for him, as they will for each of us ... we must accompany him with our own prayers." A workman in the square, declining to give his name, told The Associated Press that crews were taking down the canopy on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, which had covered an altar during Easter Sunday Mass. They said they had orders to clear the space for when the pope's coffin eventually is carried into the square. Police in a motorized cart moved around the square, telling some faithful who were kneeling on the cobblestones to get up. Police said they were given orders that no one be allowed to sit or pray on the pavement in the square. In a sign of the pope's decline, several cardinals from the United States and Latin America said they were heading to Rome. After the official mourning period following the death of a pope, cardinals hold a secret vote in the Sistine Chapel to choose a successor. A dozen nuns said the rosary Saturday while standing at the foot of the obelisk in St. Peter's and looking at the pope's windows. They had just attended a morning Mass at the basilica. Sister Arlete said she felt both sadness and happiness: "Sadness because he's dying, but happiness that his suffering will end, because he's truly suffering. He's a spiritual father who helps us grow in life with so much love and peace." The Il Secolo XIX newspaper of Genoa reported that the pope, with the help of his private secretary Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, wrote a note to his aides urging them not to weep for him. "I am happy, and you should be as well," the note reportedly said. "Let us pray together with joy." ------------ www.yahoo.com [ 04-02-2005, 06:23 AM: Message edited by: Harkoliar ] __________________ Catch me if you can..