Shots In The Dark

So unlike Terri Schiavo, the Pope now has a feeding tube. "Frail Pope Supports Dignity for the Ill," headlines the Drudge Report. "Wants Life Support to the End."

It's dangerous to overinterpret a headline, of course, but since Matt's take on the Pope seems supported by consensus, let's parse that. The Pope apparently can't speak, so he wanders over to a window for a brief moment to show his believers that he's still alive. On Easter Sunday, his image is beamed to the masses, but shown only from behind. His illness has become a morbid spectacle watched the world over. He's being fed through a tube.

This is dignity for the ill?

Given that the Pope apparently can't speak for himself, it's hard not to wonder how much this situation is being manipulated by high-ups in the Vatican. Who knows what power struggles and intrigues are taking place behind the scenes?

I'm not a Catholic, but I've always had tremendous respect for this pope, a remarkable and inspiring man. Lately, though, I'm just feeling sorry for him. Where is the dignity in having a tube inserted into your stomach just to keep the body functioning past the point where the Lord is calling you home? I don't find this death-watch inspiring; I find it tawdry.

From a journalist's perspective, this is a book one would love to write. I'm not qualified to, but someone should: the behind-the-scenes story of what's happening inside the Vatican during the last months of the Pope's life. It'd read like The Da Vinci Code....