Vatican: Pope Worsens Again

Fox News is reporting that the Vatican is saying that Pope John-Paul II's condition has worsened. Earlier reports in the Italian media of the Pope's death have been denied by the Vatican.

"Italian media backed away from reports that the pope had died.

Some Italian wire and television sources reported just before 9 p.m. Rome time that the pontiff's heart and brain activity had stopped and a monitor on a machine had displayed a flatline, but they reversed that proclamation after Vatican sources said it wasn't true and there was no such machine in the pope's apartment.

Earlier Friday evening, the pope lost consciousness, his breathing was shallow and his kidneys were also apparently failing. He slipped in and out of a coma overnight, according to Italian media reports."

From all of the reports and the statement from the Vatican, it is would appear that it is only a matter of hours before the Pope passes on. - Sailor