Death of Pope John Paul II.Vatican City Vatican City (văt`ĭkən), independent state (2005 est. pop. 900), 108.7 acres (44 hectares), within the city of Rome, Italy, and the residence of the pope, who is its absolute ruler. -- Having undergone a tracheotomy tracheotomy (trākēŏt`əmē), surgical incision into the trachea, or windpipe. The operation is performed when the windpipe has become blocked, e.g., by the presence of some foreign object or by swelling of the larynx. on Feb. 24, after a recurrence of his previous illness, Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan Paweł II) born Karol Józef Wojtyła left the Gemelli hospital on March 13. He made several very brief appearances after his return to the Vatican, speaking as little as possible. His doctors forecast that the breathing tube in his throat would remain there permanently. They then found that the Pope could not swallow properly. Hence another tube through the nose was added to provide him with liquid food. Notwithstanding these measures, the Holy Father passed away at 9:37 pm Saturday, April 2, the Vigil of the Feast of the Divine Mercy, a devotion he had strongly promoted. Cardinals quickly began to arrive for the Pope's funeral on April 8. The Conclave conclave In the Roman Catholic church, the assembly of cardinals gathered to elect a new pope and the system of strict seclusion to which they submit. From 1059 the election became the responsibility of the cardinals. for the election of a new pope was to begin on April 18. |
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