The Man Who Would Be Pope

Signs of Pope John Paul II's failing health clearly renew speculation that he may not live much longer. Who would replace him as the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church? What qualities will the cardinals look for in the man who would be pope?

by Cecil E. Maranville

Praying at the shrine of Lourdes, France, a few weeks ago, 84-year-old Pope John Paul II stunned listeners with his words: "As I kneel here at the grotto of Massabielle, I realize with emotion that I have reached the end of my pilgrimage." They drew the obvious conclusion—that the pope believes he is near the end of his life.

A Vatican spokesman was quick to deny this idea a few days later, claiming that the pontiff meant only that he had reached the shrine and was therefore at the end of his pilgrimage.

But Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien (who was with the pope at Lourdes) said he was deeply affected by witnessing the pope's physical struggles to get through his official duties. Aides had to assist the pope to kneel at the grotto, and then had to catch him when he began to fall over while praying. Upon returning to Edinburgh, O'Brien asked Catholics to pray for the pope's health.

Cardinal Godfried Danneels of Belgium (often mentioned as a possible successor to John Paul) was more blunt. "The pope is seriously weakened. When [he] says, 'I end my pilgrimage here,' [that could be understood as] his farewell to Lourdes and maybe to his life" ("Cardinal Hears Farewell in John Paul's Remarks," The International Herald Tribune, Aug. 17, 2004).

The Vatican did not comment on Danneels' assessment, although it likely did not appreciate them. No stranger to outspoken comments, Danneels angered the Vatican a few years ago by suggesting that the pope might step down due to his health.

John Paul suffers from severe arthritis in one knee that prevents him from walking. But it appears that the Parkinson's disease from which he also suffers has advanced to the point that it makes him too unstable to walk even if he didn't have the arthritis. And he has had numerous intestinal complaints, stemming from two abdominal gunshot wounds in 1981, a large tumor removed in the early 1990s and, perhaps, from Parkinson's.

Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0409/index.htm

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