Pope has 'acute' throat inflammation, says Vatican

VATICAN CITY, Feb 2 (AFP) - Pope John Paul II was fighting for breath when he was hospitalized as an emergency late Tuesday, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.
"The flu which has been affecting the Holy Father for three days was complicated with acute inflammation of the larynx and laringo-spasm," a condition where one cannot catch one's breath, Navarro-Valls said.
"For this reason it was urgently decided that he be taken to the Policlinico Gemelli which happened at 10:50 pm," the spokesman said in a statement released shortly before midnight Monday.

02/01/2005 23:13 GMT - AFP