Vatican: Vatican sources yesterday played down fresh concern about the health of ailing Pope John Paul II after the pontiff was forced to cancel his weekly general audience. The 83-year-old Pope, who had looked frail and in difficulty during his recent four-day visit to Slovakia, missed yesterday's audience because of an "intestinal disposition".
The fact that the Pope has missed only a handful of general audiences during his 25-year-long pontificate inevitably prompted speculation yesterday that his already frail health had taken a turn for the worse.
The Vatican's senior spokesman, Dr Joaquin Navarro Valls, played down the problem, however, telling Italian television that all the Pope's forthcoming engagements in a busy October period remained on his schedule.
In the end, the Pope addressed the 8,000 pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall via an audio link from his summer residence of Castelgandolfo, south of Rome.
Looking and sounding tired, he told the pilgrims: "Dear brothers and sisters, I send you all cordial greetings. I'm sorry I can't be with you for this regular weekly meeting. I carry all of you in my heart and bless you".
During the Pope's visit to Slovakia two weeks ago, it was obvious that his already poor health had deteriorated even further over the course of this summer.
The combined effects of chronic arthritis, Parkinson's disease, 1992 surgery for colon cancer and the 1981 assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Agca all now seem to be taking a great toll on the Pope, greatly reducing his mobility and leaving him short of breath.
Yet, despite yesterday's setback, Vatican sources were adamant that he will fulfil a busy schedule over the next month.