Vatican prepares for pope's end
2005-04-01 10:18
Vatican City - Cardinal Camillo Ruini, Pope John Paul II's deputy for Rome who is traditionally charged with breaking the news of a papal death, arrived at the Vatican early on Friday.
Ruini, who is also the head of the Italian bishops' conference, arrived at the Vatican around 08:30.
A Vatican spokesperson said on Friday the Holy See would make an announcement about the pope's condition later in the morning.
"A further announcement will be made on the pope's health in the late morning," the Vatican's deputy spokesperson Ciro Benedettini told reporters.
Earlier, the Holy See said the 84-year-old pontiff received the last rites on Thursday evening after suffering a heart attack and that his condition was "very serious".
It was highly unusual for the Vatican to reveal such details of the pope's condition, a signal that it was preparing the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics for the demise of their beloved pope.