Pope John Paul II is "progressively improving" and following the Roman Catholic Church's activities daily, the Vatican said today, suggesting he might be released from the hospital in time for Easter.
Papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the wound on John Paul's throat after surgery to insert a breathing tube was healing.
He said the frail, 84-year-old pontiff wants to return to the Vatican, "but at the same time, he accepts doctors' advice" not to rush back after suffering his second breathing crisis in a month.
The Pope has been receiving several top churchmen "with whom he daily follows the activity of the Holy See and the life of the church," Navarro-Valls told reporters.
He said the Vatican would decide on Saturday what the Pope's schedule for Sunday would be, but that it was likely that an archbishop would read out the Angelus prayer and blessing to the faithful just as this past Sunday.
He implied that the Pope might make another appearance at his hospital window on Sunday.
Asked whether the Pope might be back at the Vatican in time for Easter celebrations on March 27, Navarro-Valls said: "It's possible."
He said the Vatican was going ahead with its regular Easter schedule and that if the Pope was released before the holiday, his level of participation would still have to be decided.
"The health of the Holy Father John Paul II continues to improve and show progress," the spokesman said.
"As previously stated, the Pope is eating regularly and spends several hours each day in an armchair. The surgical wound is healing."
He said the Pope's daily therapy to improve his ability to breathe and speak were continuing "with the active collaboration of the Holy Father," and that the next medical update was not expected until Monday.
AP