Someone suggested this in the Dead Pool thread, so here it is.
John Paul II recovering in hospital
I hope he’s okay, but at the same time, the hospital merry-go-round is something I don’t wish on anyone. So many elderly people go through that, and it sucks. Here’s hoping, then, that whatever happens is not traumatic.
At age 84 just about anything is potentially a terminal illness.
The Popewatch is cool, but I’m getting the Popesunglasses instead.
I’m wincing every time they show footage of the Pope on the news. Poor old guy! He’d be out to grass right now in almost any other profession.
I was wondering (morbidly, I know) whether he has, or could have, a DNR. Is it OK under Catholic doctrine, OK but not if you are Pope?
I hear a lot of the talking heads wishing him a swift recovery, but truly, I am hoping for the man to get some peace. I know it’s not usually done, but can’t he abdicate his throne or something?
A trach at any age is not a good thing. when you are his age, that is a very bad sign.
Not usually equals not since 1415, and I believe that was the only time. He can abdicate - he is, after all, the guy who sets the rules - but has in the past stated his intention to serve until his death.
I know how you feel. I hate to see him like this, and I’m kinda hoping he doesn’t have to put up with it much longer.
Hey, medical-type Dopers: will he still be able to talk, now that he’s had a tracheotomy?
No, not while he’s “breathing” (being ventilated) through it. Should he survive and be freed from the respirator, closing the opening would allow the air to vibrate his vocal cords and produce speech.
I am wrong in that belief.
For the first time, the Pope missed the Angelus in St Peter’s Square. However, he did wave from his hospital window.
I don’t know why it should concern me so much, but I’m really worried he’s going to die while I’m in Italy next month. I’ll be there from the 6th to the 18th. I’ll be in Rome from the 15th - 18th.
OTOH, it would be really cool to be there when they elect the next Pope.
I wish him peace and comfort.
Is there a regent or some sort of equivalent if the pope is unable to fulfill his duties yet his not quite 100% dead. What if a younger pope got into a Terry Schiavo sort of situation where he was kept alive for many, many years in a vegetative state?
An almost foolproof indicator of an elderly notable person’s impending death is when his underlings are quoted in the news stories going on about how not sick he is. When that happens, hang the crepe.
When I heard the stories earlier this week talking about how JP2 was just fine, he was just going in for a little elective tracheostomy, no big deal, I thought that they’d better start putting out some folding chairs and a snack table in the Sistine Chapel.
After he gets off the respirator, a device called a Passy-Muir valve can be added to his trach and he will be able to talk.
It doesn’t look good. Bookies are now accepting bets on who will be the next pope.
You have to feel sorry for the guy sometimes. When JP2 was elected Pope, he was no spring chicken, but still looked relatively young and vigorous. I wonder what kind of health he’d be in now if he hadn’t become Pope? The job is a killer, what with the stress and all.
He was about 58… I think that’s pretty young by Pope standards. I’m sure you’re right about the stress, but he also gets the best medical care.
Just checked to make sure I didn’t already post this. Didn’t notice it, so I shouldn’t be too senselessly wasting your time. Anyway, I just had my religion class institute a Popewatch, where we update any new happenings in the Pope’s health. And, since the title of the class is “The Christian Church in the Modern Era,” it fits the class very well. I don’t want the Pope to hurry up and die or anything like that, but it would be pretty cool if we got to study the election of a new Pope while it happens.
Quick disclaimer, I’m not a Catholic and I have no special knowledge of this short of watching quite a bit of news coverage at the weekend.
As I understand it the pope doesn’t have a DNR and should be resusitated if required, I’m not 100% on that. However they did say that should he fall into any sort of state where he is being maintained by machines it would be against his teachings to remove his life support, even if he had no hope of regaining consciousness. He’s previously argued against doing just that for others, I suspect that he believes both in miraculous recoveries and that it should be Gods choice when to let someone die.
If that were to happen then there is, again I think, a ‘second in command’ in the Vatican who would take over. Many of the popes duties are already handled by underlings. Several specific things can’t be done except by the pope although you’d have to check with a RC to confirm exactly what.
If all my recollection is correct and then the pope where to fall into such a coma then you may have an problem internally within the church with people arguing both for removal of life support or for the election of a new pope anyway.
I hope that he either passes swiftly and peacefully or fully recovers and stands down as pope to live the rest of his time quietly.
SD