Rome
Pope John Paul II is in such poor health that he can no longer perform most of his duties, Time magazine reported this week. The apparent effects of Parkinson’s disease have made the pope, 83, essentially unable to walk unassisted. He also has increasing trouble speaking. On a recent visit to Slovakia, he barely got through a few sentences of his opening remarks at the airport. The pope will celebrate 25 years as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Oct. 16, but some Vatican officials believe he may soon be unable to make executive decisions. “On some levels,” a Rome-based priest told Time, “this has become a lame-duck papacy.”
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.
-
A running list of RFK Jr.'s controversiesIn Depth The man atop the Department of Health and Human Services has had no shortage of scandals over the years
-
Film reviews: Sinners and The King of KingsFeature Vampires lay siege to a Mississippi juke joint and an animated retelling of Jesus' life
-
Music reviews: Bon Iver, Valerie June, and The WaterboysFeature "Sable, Fable," "Owls, Omens, and Oracles," "Life, Death, and Dennis Hopper"
