Egyptian Christians' pope health stabilizes after two days in intensive care

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Associated Press Published: November 9, 2007
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAIRO, Egypt: Pope Shenouda III, the ailing head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, is set to leave the hospital Friday, said church officials, after two days in intensive care that raised fears over his deteriorating health.

The 84-year-old pope suffers from chronic cholecystitis, or stones in his gall bladder, that caused a high fever and severe pain, said Bishop Moussa, one of the pope assistants.

The pope canceled his weekly Wednesday lecture at Cairo's St. Mark's cathedral and was rushed to the hospital.

"There were big worries among Christians who came to attend his lecture," Bishop Moussa said. "Thanks to God, the pope is in a very good condition now," he added. "It's the first time for him to spend a night in a hospital in Cairo."

Friday's local papers were filled with the news that the pope had lost consciousness, perhaps even fallen into a coma, but both Moussa and a hospital doctor denied the reports.

The latest health scare came just a few days after the pope returned from the United States, where he received a check up on his kidneys at the Cleveland Clinic. He is also known to have back problems and last year made several U.S. trips for back surgery.

An estimated 10 percent of Egypt's 76.5 million people are Copts, making it the largest Christian community in the Middle East. There are also major Coptic populations in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Egyptian Christians generally live in peace with the Muslim majority, but occasional sectarian clashes do occur. Christians complain that they suffer job discrimination, particularly in the high ranks of the civil and military service and positions such as generals and governors are invariably filled by Muslims.

SOURCE: