Pope may leave hospital next week

A Polish priest from John Paul II’s birthplace said today he had been told by The Pope’s closest aide that the pontiff might leave hospital on Monday or Tuesday.

Rev. Richard Nitschke, visiting with a group of pilgrims from John Paul’s birthplace of Wadowice, said he met the Pope’s personal secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, earlier today.

Nitschke, who did not see the Pope, said the Archbishop told him: “Everything is going well.”

The priest said, “When I asked (Dziwisz) when the Pope would be out, he said: ‘Monday or Tuesday, eventually’.”

The Vatican did not confirm the possible discharge date, the first discussed publicly since the Pope was taken to the Gemelli Polyclinic hospital and underwent throat surgery on February, 24 to ease his breathing.