A Lame Duck in Rome?

As Pope John Paul II prepares to celebrate a quarter-century as Pontiff on Oct. 16, Vatican officials are growing increasingly concerned about his weakening physical condition. On a trip to Slovakia that ended a week ago, the Pope, 83, could finish no more than a few sentences of his opening remarks at the Bratislava airport. Vatican insiders say the apparent effects of Parkinson's disease have become more difficult for the Pope's doctors to control with medication. "They no longer are able to predict how he will be from one day to the next," said one longtime Vatican observer. A Roman Curia official described the Pope's daily schedule as "greatly diminished," which heightens concern about his ability to make executive decisions for the church. Resignation is not being considered, according to a senior Vatican official. But in the words of a Rome-based priest who has worked in Vatican circles for more than a decade, "On some levels, this has effectively become a lame-duck papacy."

The Pope is already virtually unable to walk on his own, and his growing struggle to speak for any extended period is forcing changes. Prepared remarks are shorter, and even brief speeches are increasingly finished by an aide. The Pope did appear to bounce back a bit after his return from Slovakia, meeting with diplomatic delegations and reading most of the text during his Wednesday general audience. Senior aides insist that proposed trips to France, Poland and Mexico next year haven't been ruled out. But the day may be near when the Pope is simply a silent presence. "We are rewriting the entire Roman rite to accommodate his health situation," says the Rome priest. "The question is where do you draw the line?"