Pope spends peaceful night in hospital
Pope John Paul was "quite well" after being being rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties last night, Italian news agencies reported early this morning. More medical tests will be carried out today. The Holy Father is said to have spent a "peaceful" night at the Gemelli hospital. The 84-year-old pontiff is said to be suffering with acute laryngeal tracheitis, after he went down with flu on Sunday. The condition, which causes a blockage of air to the lungs, is rarely fatal, medical experts say. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who is also a medical doctor, said the decision to hospitalise the Pope was "mainly a precaution" and he is not in intensive care. The Gemelli hospital is the same one where the Pope was treated after the attempt on his life in 1981.