Vatican official says employees pray for pope, but work continues

Published: 2005-02-03

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With Pope John Paul II in the hospital, Vatican employees have increased their prayers for him, but the rhythm of their work has not changed, said U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford. "We are going about our work, but of course, we are praying for the Holy Father, we are preoccupied," said the cardinal, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court. "He is our father, brother and friend," the cardinal said Feb. 3. "Because he is so beloved, there is a chronic uneasiness" in Vatican corridors. Pope John Paul was rushed to Rome's Gemelli Hospital late Feb. 1 after experiencing serious difficulty breathing. Doctors later said his larynx was swollen and there had been spasms, making it difficult for him to breathe. By Feb. 3, the Vatican spokesman was saying the swelling had gone down, there were no further incidents of spasms and the pope's test results were satisfactory.

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