Cardinal says pope's speech problems do not affect ability to govern

Published: 2003-10-16

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The difficulty Pope John Paul II has speaking and the possibility that one day he will not be able to speak at all do not threaten his ability to govern the church, a Vatican official said. "The church does not govern with the tongue, but with the head and with the heart," said Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes. The cardinal spoke Oct. 16, the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul's election, after a ceremony at which the pope read only the first and last thirds of his prepared text. For months, the pope has been shortening the length of his speeches and, especially since mid-September, has been allowing aides to read major portions of the prepared texts. When he does read, the pope's voice is often weak, his speech slurred and his breathing labored -- all signs that his neurological disease, believed to be Parkinson's, is progressing. Cardinal Saraiva Martins said that in governing the church with his head and heart, "This pope is still perfect."

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