Pope Receives Tracheotomy

THE STORY.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

4 thoughts on “Pope Receives Tracheotomy”

  1. Not sure if this error is to do with my computer or your link but I thought you should know that the article you are presently linking to is entitled:
    “Salt Should Be Regulated Food Additive, Group Says”
    God Bless.
    [SORRY. PROBLEM FIXED–JIMMY.]

  2. May we all place ourselved in prayer at his bedside and hold his hand. He has carried the cross for so long and with such fidelity. May we all grow in grace by his example. And may God make His presense felt to our Holy Father through this hospitalization.

  3. I am not trying to eulogize here, but I can’t help thinking about the topic. Being born in ’78, I have known only one pope my whole life. I can’t imagine living during the time when there were antipopes and the like. Despite the instability this office has seen, the Church has been able to persist. You look at the challenges the Church has faced: the persecution of the Roman Empire, the near Muslim take over of Christendom, WWII. It reminds me of a French cardinal telling Napolean that he shouldn’t attempt to destroy the Church, because men within the Church had been trying to do so for centuries and had not been able. I believe the Church has persevered only due to the intervention of God.
    In my life, assuming I don’t have an unexpected demise, I will see a new pope. Many have been praying for the pope’s demise, so that we might have a church more open to reform such as normalizing divorce, married clergy, and a female episcopate. I’m afraid that when the next Pope is selected, there are going to be many disappointed people. The selection will most likely formalize the schism that has already taken place in many circles of the Church. Despite the new leadership of Archbishop Dolan in Milwaukee, many of our priests are rebellious. Many hope the next pope is a liberal cardinal (from Holland I believe.) Recent actions by the USCCB do not portend well for unity under a new pope. I know I’m not alone in praying for Pope JP II and the Church.

  4. M.Z,
    I have wondered how the Church would deal with a coclave that took 4 years to elect John Paul II’s successor, and a couple of anti-Popes to boot. I think the fact that the world was Catholic had a lot to do with the Church weathering those hard times in Church history. I’m afraid how Catholics would respond in a non-Catholic world to a Popeless Church and a few leaders to follow.
    The Holy Spirit will sort it out, of course…

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