There has been great concern for some time now over the health problems of 81-year-old Pope John Paul II. A few years ago the Roman Catholic leader was struck by unusual fevers, stomach viruses and heavy cases of the flu, and many worried he might die suddenly.

The formerly athletic, but now ailing pontiff is showing the effects of Parkinson's disease, and some feel he might slip into incapacitation and leave the Catholic Church in the hands of subordinates. Parkinson's is a disease of the nervous system which causes uncontrollable shaking and cognitive problems.

Information from inside the Vatican walls hints that he travels the long corridors not by foot but by electric cart. When meetings prove too long for him, orders are issued from his quarters by aides who are coordinated by his personal secretary, Bishop Stanislaw Dziwisz.

There exists no law or regulation within the church to prevent this, and for the moment, only resignation or death can end a papacy. This pope has made it clear he does not intend to resign.