Pope suffers heart failure, condition 'very serious'

The Vatican said today that Pope John Paul II’s condition was very serious hours after suffering heart failure.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in a statement that yesterday afternoon the Pope experienced septic shock and heart failure after developing a urinary tract infection.

“This morning the condition of the Holy Father is very serious,” the statement said.

The Vatican said the Pope was being helped by his personal doctor, two intensive care doctors, a cardiologist, an ear, nose and throat specialist, and two nurses.

A heart failure occurs when the heart no longer has the strength to pump blood through the body, and is a sign that the body’s cardiac system is failing.

The Pope participated in a 6am (4am Irish time) Mass today and “the Holy Father is conscious, lucid, and serene”, it said.

The 84-year-old Pontiff’s health declined sharply yesterday, when he developed a high fever brought on by a urinary tract infection.

The Pontiff was attended to by the Vatican medical team, and provided with “all the appropriate therapeutic provisions and cardio-respiratory assistance,” the statement said.

The Pope’s wish to remain at the Vatican and not be taken to the hospital was respected, Navarro-Valls said.

The statement confirmed previous reports the Pope had received the sacrament for the sick and dying yesterday evening.