The Pope is Leaving Us

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II suffered heart failure and was in "very grave" condition Friday, but he was lucid and spent the morning celebrating Mass and receiving top aides, asking one to read him the biblical account of Christ's Crucifixion and burial, the Vatican said.

Spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls choked up with tears as he told reporters about the pope's worsening condition. He said the 84-year-old pontiff had been "informed of the gravity of his situation" and rather than be hospitalized, he decided to stay in his apartment overlooking St. Peter's Square, where thousands of pilgrims gathered to pray for him.

John Paul participated in Mass and received some top aides Friday morning, Navarro-Valls said.

"The pope is still lucid, fully conscious and extraordinarily serene," Navarro-Valls said. He said the pope had unstable blood pressure and remained in "very grave" condition.

The critically ill pope appointed a large number of bishops and other church officials, the Holy See said in an afternoon statement that gave no new information about his condition.

Among the top church officials who gathered at his bedside was Archbishop Paolo Sardi, the Vatican vice chamberlain who runs the Holy See between the death of a pope and the election of a new one.

Thousands stood vigil on the square outside, many tearfully gazing up at his third-floor window, and millions more around the world paused to pray for him.
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Although it was clear this moment was coming, I was not prepared for its reality.