Pope John Paul II is one of the main contenders for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.(AFP/File/Vincenzo Pinto)
Posted on 09/30/2003 7:15:09 AM PDT by Dog
German Cardinal Says Pope 'In a Very Bad Way' Tue September 30, 2003 08:23 AM ET BERLIN (Reuters) - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the German head of the Vatican body which oversees doctrinal matters, was quoted on Tuesday as saying Pope John Paul was in very poor health and the faithful should pray for him. "He is in a very bad way," Ratzinger told Germany's Bunte magazine in an interview. "We should pray for the pope."
Ratzinger, who heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told the magazine that the 83-year-old pope had taken on too much, but he was unable to stop him.
The increasingly frail pope was particularly weak earlier this month on a trip to Slovakia and needed help reading his sermons. Last week, he skipped his general audience because of what the Vatican said was an intestinal problem.
Ratzinger's private secretary, Georg Gaenswein, said it was amazing how the pope, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease, kept going.
"He can't walk and stand anymore but he is a hero for the faithful. The fact that he doesn't give up despite his illness makes him even more credible," Gaenswein told Bunte.
He said the pope would not give up traveling. "When he is no longer allowed to travel, then dear God will come for him," Gaenswein said.
The leader of the world's one billion Roman Catholics, who marks his 25th anniversary next month, appointed 31 new cardinals on Sunday, possibly putting his last stamp on the group that will one day choose his successor.
Pope John Paul II is one of the main contenders for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.(AFP/File/Vincenzo Pinto)
I'll never forget this Pope's contribution to the freedom of Poland and other communist slave-nations.
He's being a fighter to the end. I'm Missouri Synod Lutheran and we've always held the Pope in deepest admiration and respect.
God bless Pope John Paul. I hope he receives the Nobel Prize to cap the achievements of his productive and conscientious life.
Leni
I am praying for him right now. May God comfort, sustain, and bless him.
You are correct. I am 33 and barely remeber the prior Pope(not even the name off the top of my head) who only lasted 1 month or so. I too love the pope, the only complaint I have is that he is too far away to see the damage the priest/pedophilia scandal has done to the church. Taking a hard stand against those priests and the bishops who just shuffled the offending priests off to a new parish to diddle again, would have sent the best message possible. Instead it appears that the pope doesn't care. When really it's more like he is out of touch with the people.
HOLY SPIRIT BUMP!!!
Pope John Paul II should have been one of the greatest Pope's in history, with a mind and a heart like his. God has blessed him greatly with intelligence and compassion.
If only he had consulted scriptures more frequently before making his pronouncements. Ah, but we should place our hopes only in Jesus Christ, for men will ever let us down.
Prayers for the Pope's quick recovery, or easy passing.
This Pope, John Paul II touched children all over the world and was an inspiration to the afflicted!
Yes they will even when they are suppose to be representing the Church.
He is truly a man of peace. Though I didn't agree with him that the U.S. shouldn't go into Iraq, if you paid very close attention to what he actually said, rather than what was written about what he said, he was giving the usual teaching about 'Love one another' and 'love your enemies', but at the same time was acknowledging that sovereign nations have the right to conduct war as long as it is not aimed at the citizens of a nation, but rather at the leaders and armies of a nation that has become a threat to its neighbors.
To all those liberals who thought that his pronouncements proved that America was evil for going into Iraq, I'd point out that he NEVER declared participation in the war as being sinful, which he could have done had he truly thought that prosecution of the war was fully against Church teaching.
It will be interesting to see how the Arab street reacts to the Popes eventual passing. Their reaction (especially Palistinian) may illustrate to Westerners what kind of war we are actually fighting and who our true enemies are.
What? He would have turned into a Protestant? Maybe you might pause to reflect that the Pope knows a good deal about Scripture. Have you ever actually read any Papal documents? They're thick with Scripture citations.
Ah, but we should place our hopes only in Jesus Christ, for men will ever let us down.
That's funny, because Scripture says (Hebrews 13:17) that we are to obey our leaders and submit to them, not ignore them, toss them aside, and declare them irrelevant "for men will ever let us down".
Perhaps you should consult Scripture before making your pronouncements.
Revelation 11
The Two Witnesses
The Two Witnesses; the Seventh Trumpet
1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
The Witnesses Killed
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The two witnesses are Jews and Christians
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