Pope gets therapy for breathing and speaking

POPE John Paul is recovering without complications and has started therapy to improve his breathing and speaking, the Vatican said yesterday.

The Holy See said the 84-year-old Pope has been eating regularly and spending some time sitting in an armchair. But it gave no hint of when he would leave Rome’s Gemelli hospital, an indication that doctors see the need for an extended stay.

“The Holy Father’s postoperative phase is taking place without complications. His general condition and biological parameters continue to be good,” the Vatican communique said.

“The Holy Father is eating regularly, spends some hours in an armchair and has begun exercises to rehabilitate breathing and phonation.”

The therapy is aimed at improving the Pope’s breathing and ability to speak after last week’s surgery to insert a tube in his throat to ease his second respiratory crisis in less than a month. Dr Cesare Catananti, Gemelli’s medical director, smiled when asked how the Pope was doing but would not comment.

The Pope spent 10 days in the hospital earlier in February with breathing problems that stemmed from flu. His relapse led some to question if he had been released too soon.

“Please, let’s not let him get out of the hospital too quickly,” said Vatican-based Mexican cardinal Javier Lozano Jose Barragan. “In this phase of convalescence, it’s necessary to be more cautious and less hasty.”

John Paul’s appearance at his hospital window on Sunday - his first since last Thursday’s operation - came just moments after a Vatican official outside St Peter’s Basilica read the pontiff’s appeal for prayers.

The Pope appeared for only a minute and did not speak, but sent a powerful message amid concerns his health crisis would leave him incapacitated and unable to carry on as leader of one billion Catholics.

John Paul looked alert, raising hopes he was making progress following the surgery. His appearance also was a sign of his determination, after the Vatican had announced he would skip his weekly blessing - a 26-year tradition he didn’t miss even after he was shot in 1981 and was recovering from an operation in 1992.

The Pope, wearing his usual white robe, then touched his throat, but neither the inserted tube nor other signs of the operation were visible. His gestures were strong, and he appeared in good form.

Any step toward recovery is complicated by the Pope’s battle with Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive disorder that causes tremors and limits muscle control. He also suffers from hip and knee ailments.

Dr Nicola Mercuri, a Rome neurosurgeon, said the Pope’s speech would likely deteriorate as his Parkinson advanced.

Another specialist said he doubted if the Pope could even write, but could learn to communicate better with the aid of computers.