Leading Cardinal Says Pope Nearing Death: 'Last Days'
Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II holds onto his chair as he is assisted by ushers during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican (news - web sites) Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2003. (AP Photo/Massimo Sambucetti)
VATICAN CITY - A leading European cardinal said Thursday that Pope John Paul II is nearing "the last days and months of his life," the latest prelate to express alarm over the 83-year-old pontiff's health.
The remarks by Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, considered a possible candidate for the papacy, came as John Paul's closest aide sought to minimize growing concern over the pontiff's health.