Pope situation update at 5.00 am

Pope John Paul remains in a serious but stable condition in his private apartment in the apostolic palace.
Yesterday afternoon the pope suffered a septic shock and cardio-circulatory collapse after developing a urinary infection.
The last medical bulletin was issued about 10 hours ago.
It stated that the Pope’s conditions had worsened, that his breathing had become shallow and his blood pressure low. It also said that his heart and kidneys had grown weak.
This news was of course received with great concern, both in Rome and around the world.
 
Looking at some of these reactions from around the world, we’ll now hear from Australia.
Cardinal George Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney who is currently on pilgrimage in Jerusalem, observed earlier that “At this moment, all Catholics, all Christians, all religious people, in fact, all people of good will be praying for the pope in his last moments.”
Meanwhile the Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Bishop Julian Porteous, told us more about the specific importance of Pope John Paul to Australians.