Some ask if pontiff can still serve

VATICAN CITY -- Christians and people of other faiths visiting the center of Catholicism reacted with sympathy and shock to news of Pope John Paul II's sickness, and some questioned whether he should still run the Church.

The pope was hospitalized yesterday for the second time in a month with fever and breathing problems, reviving a debate over whether such a frail man is able to lead the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.

''He's not really with it any more. We need someone who's a bit more in tune with the modern world, someone who's physically and mentally fit," said 25-year-old German teacher Tina Koch, a Catholic on a visit to Rome.

After 26 years on the papal throne, the 84-year-old pope is afflicted with Parkinson's disease, impaired by arthritis, and can barely speak.

''I think he doesn't have the force any more that is needed to deal with today's issues -- the problems with Iran, Iraq, the dialogue with the Muslim world," said Italian taxi driver Umberto Rossi, 61.

''He can't move, he trembles. It's not a positive image for the church," he added.

But others who visited the Vatican yesterday praised the pope's commitment to his duties as a world leader, his defense of human rights, and his push for interfaith dialogue.

''He stands for world peace, and that is the most important thing today," said 74-year-old J. S. Aurora, a Hindu from India who had just visited the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

''In our society, when a person gets old, even when he is sick and can't speak, as long as he is there, we feel his blessings are there," he added.

His sentiment was echoed by Catholics who say the pope is a role model for the old and frail and a symbol of the value of life regardless of physical fitness.

Brigid Nolan, 73, saw the news on television in Dublin and walked over to St. Columba's Church. She lit a candle and offered a five-minute prayer for the pope and her own struggle with Parkinson's disease.

''I do draw inspiration from his own fight for life," she said. ''He is suffering, but he's surviving, and more power to him. I get angry when people say he should quit."

Earlier in the day, senior churchmen urged the faithful to pray for the man who has led the world's Roman Catholics for 26 years and has made endurance amid personal suffering a theme of the last years of his papacy.

''We heard the news at lunch and went straight away to St. Peter's to pray," said Sister Maria Gabriella, a Franciscan nun from Rimini.

''When you look at the square, you can see there's been some bad news -- the atmosphere is really sad. But I think he would be glad to know we are praying."

Popes can step down voluntarily, but John Paul has steadfastly maintained that he will not retire.

While church law specifically leaves retirement up to the discretion of the pope, none has stepped down since 1415, when Gregory XII relinquished power in an attempt to heal divisions within the church.

John Paul II, who was selected in 1978, is the third longest-serving pope in history. His legendary travels have taken him to more than 100 countries.

In the clearest sign that the Vatican may be taking the eventuality of papal resignation seriously, Vatican No. 2 Cardinal Angelo Sodano declined to rule out the possibility during John Paul's first hospitalization this month, saying it was up to the pope's conscience.

But in Krakow yesterday, the Rev. Adam Boniecki, a longtime friend of the pope, said the pontiff was ready to serve until the end.

''The pope is understood best by the old, the tired, and the sick. People in difficult situations say 'This man does not give up regardless of his state of health so I can't give up either,' " Boniecki said.

Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.