Religious Ledgies: Pray for the Pope
 

Guys, I know some of you dont care for religion at all, but lets keep this thread simply for prayers and things of that nature. Thanks! I appreciate it.


ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II was taken to a hospital late Tuesday with an acute respiratory infection, hours after aides announced he was suffering from the flu, the Vatican said.

He was taken urgently to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic about 11 p.m. to have his infection examined further. The pope has been treated at that hospital in the past, but a rushed trip late at night is unusual.

Vatican sources said the 84-year old pontiff was undergoing a round of tests, including X-rays, so that doctors can determine the seriousness of the infection.

He has not been placed in the intensive care unit, the sources said.

The pope's Vatican doctors decided to send him to the hospital after his symptoms worsened, sources said.

Earlier Tuesday, the Vatican said the pontiff had canceled his public and private meetings for the next few days, including his general audience on Wednesday, due to a bout with influenza.

"The pope joined the millions of Italians who have caught the flu," chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.

The decision to clear the pontiff's calendar came a day after the pope was forced to cancel his Monday meetings. At the time, the Vatican said John Paul had a mild fever.

Before the pope was taken to the hospital, Vatican sources said there was no reason for concern.

They said the cancellations were made to give advance warning to the thousands of pilgrims who gather in St. Peter's Square each week to get a glimpse of the pope.

The pope last appeared in public Sunday. His voice was hoarse, but he appeared to be in good spirits.

His health has been relatively steady in recent months, and he looked in better health than during the summer and fall of 2003, when trips to Croatia and Slovakia appeared to take a heavy toll on the frail pontiff.

The last time health problems forced him to cancel an event was September 2003, when he was suffering from a intestinal ailment.

The pope suffers from a number of chronic ailments, including Parkinson's disease. He has survived an assassination attempt and undergone nine operations -- including a hip replacement.

The weather in Rome has been uncharacteristically cold the past few weeks, and Italian health officials had warned of a flu outbreak.

I have already got my rosary out to pray for The Holy Father!

Well, I will, because it is sad when anyone is sick and feeling bad. I have a picture of my great aunt with the Pope. She's the only staunchly catholic member of my fam., Italian/Irish though both sides be.
Such a sweet, loving lady - I'll always remember going to midnight mass with her and singing my beloved classical christmas songs - and the beauty of that church and ceremony, and the magic of Christmas there.
I send him my blessings, though i don't agree with the church's policies. :nod: I hate to see anyone suffering and in pain.

I hate to see anyone in pain and suffereing too - but ya know the guy's what? 900 years old now? I mean come on, he's lived his life....

Personally - all my praying energy is going to my mom's best friend in the world who is dying before her eyes of stomach/esophagus cancer....it's a horrible horrible situation - but the angry part of me could care less about the Pope in the midst of what she is going through....

I know, I feel you. There are millions of more sufferers - he's had a full life. Sorry about your mom's best friend. :(
But - I'm having residual empathy for my great aunt Mary, who I love... :shrug: and who would care about this.
My prayers are with your mom's BF, too, Deanna. I hope she pulls through.. :o

Thanks - it's really rough - and it's hard being so far away - but my mom and I had a good cry on the phone together - this is just really tearing her apart - poor thing....and I know that with all the pain and suffering in the world...sometimes death is actually not a bad thing....the Pope seems half-dead all the time anyway....maybe it's just his time...:shrug: I'm in a seriously fould mood right now and already the "Catholic guilt" is seeping in like a plague upon me...:mad:

Thats terrible...I will keep your mom's best friend in my prayers.

Yeah I personally won't be praying for the pope (but I KNOW Dissention's already on his knees in a church begging to jesus to save the pope) I just personally don't care all that much. It's sad when anyone is dying, but didn't 150,000 people just recently die instantly too. And if the pope is supposedly god's right hand man isn't asking for prayers for him kind of like George W. Bush asking me to give the UN a call or something.

I'm sorry about your mom's friend. I will say a prayer for her and your mom. (((hugs)))

As for the Pope, he has been very frail and ill for quite some time. I pray he is at peace with himself and his life. I think there is good in him, though others will disagree and I certainly see where they're coming from. I hope he isn't in pain and will leave it at that.

I have enough respect for Alex not to foul-up his thread with my venom, but that made me laugh. :laugh:

Wow - then I must really be a foul mood...lol...coming in here and saying I could care less about the Pope....:sorry: there Alex....but I also just came from a press conference about a big old bus crash w/fatalities....bad night...bad night - so I am off to take some tylenol PM and just pass out for the evening :o

It still doesn't hurt to spare a little of your prayer time (if you are religious) to pray for a fellow human being, regardless.

I have a somewhat fatalistic view of death, too. But i know if it was my mom's best friend (my aunt cathy, who i love, and is one of my middle names) I would be heartbroken. It's good you can be there for your mom. :(
I don't think death is a bad thing -
and try not to get caught up in Catholic guilt - "it's a circle of deception, a hall of strangers"
If you, or the pope, are a good person, it will not matter, and "God" will love y'all... :xoxo:
Just stay strong and be there for your mom - you know you are a good person. :nod: (at least I think so! :xoxo: )

Thanks Amber :xoxo: - I just wish I could be there for her physically - but eh - you do what you can....

Catholic Guilt is a bitch - I have friends who haven't been Catholic in years - but STILL have the damn Catholic Guilt :laugh:

I try hard not to though....I just joke about it a lot - I'm actually shopping around for religions right now :laugh:


Anyway - now I will really go home and go to bed and as my hero Scarlett O'Hara says, "tomorrow is another day" :D :wavey:

Deanna...