Pope suffers
The week's news at a glance.
Rome
Pope John Paul II was so ill at Easter that he could not speak. In obvious pain, he made several attempts to deliver an Easter Sunday blessing from a window in the Vatican, but he failed to make a sound. It was the first time in his 26 years as pope that he did not officiate at Mass on Easter, the most important Christian holiday. The 84-year-old pope has had trouble breathing and swallowing since a throat operation in late February. He might never be able to speak again, a neurologist told Rome’s La Repubblica, because his breath could remain too weak to move his vocal cords.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why are meteorologists worried Trump could ruin their forecasts?
Today's Big Question How a conservative push to dismantle a little-known government agency could lead to big headaches for anyone hoping to get a handle on their local weather
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Such wrongdoing encourages foreign corrupt practices'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can Japan's new prime minister govern effectively?
In The Spotlight A 'popular gadfly' gets the top job
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published