Now Schoenborn Weighs In



From Yahoo.com:





Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn made his comments on the same day the pope's private secretary was trying to play down concerns about the pope's evident frailty.





Pope John Paul, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease (news - web sites) and can no longer walk without help, has appeared weaker than normal in recent public appearances and has struggled to speak at times.





"The whole world is experiencing a pope who is sick, handicapped and dying -- I don't know how close to death he is -- who is approaching the last days and months of his life," Schoenborn told Austrian radio.





Later Schoenborn's spokesman, Erich Leitenberger, said the comment was meant "to be seen philosophically" and should not be interpreted literally.