Pontiff’s Surgery Set for Next Week
Pope John Paul II will undergo surgery to remove his appendix next week, the Vatican announced. The pope will be admitted to a special, heavily guarded suite with its own chapel and kitchen on the 10th floor of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Il Messaggero newspaper said the suite is protected by two armor-plated doors and bulletproof windows. The Vatican said all papal audiences will be suspended beginning Monday but did not specify what day the pontiff, 76, will be admitted to the hospital or when the operation will take place.
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