Pope in critical condition after heart failure

Vatican, Apr. 01 (CWNews.com) - Pope John Paul II (bio - news) suffered heart failure on Thursday while under treatment for a urinary infection which caused a high fever. On April 1 his condition had been stabilized, and papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said that the Holy Father was "lucid, fully conscious, and extraordinarily serene," but conceded that his condition is "very grave."



Navarro-Valls was highly emotional, his eyes brimming with tears, as he briefed reporters on the Pope's condition at midday on Friday. He said that the Pope's overall condition had improved after a Thursday-night crisis, but his blood pressure remained "unstable" and his prognosis was poor. However, he flatly denied reports that the Pontiff had lapsed into a coma.

CWNews article.