Students serenade Pope Cardinal on Popes health

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(10 Feb 2005) SHOTLIST • 1. Concert outside hospital • 2. Various of medical students singing and playing keyboard • 3. Medical student with guitar • 4. Students singing outside the Pope's window • 5. Cardinal Re joins concert • 6. Cardinal Re addresses audience • 7. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of Congregation of Bishops • I saw the pope a few minutes ago. The holy father knows of your prayer meeting and has asked me to convey his appreciation and to bless you. I am pleased to give you this blessing. May the Lord be with you. • 8. Audience members make sign of cross • 9. Various of placards wishing the Pope a speedy recovery • 10. Cardinal Re gets into car • • STORYLINE • • Medical students gathered outside the Gemelli hospital in Rome on Wednesday night to sing songs and pray for Pope John Paul II. • • The 84-year-old pontiff has been at the hospital since February 1, when he was rushed there for emergency treatment of breathing problems a couple of days after coming down with the flu. • • Following their concert, the students were joined by Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who heads the Congregration of Bishops. • • He told the students he had just met the pope and added the pontiff had asked him to thank the students for their prayers and songs. • • The students' serenade came after the pope missed out on public Ash Wednesday prayers for the first time in 26 years. • • Instead, the pope, surrounded by his personal physician and other doctors treating him for the flu and breathing trouble, held mass in his tightly guarded hospital suite. • • The pope's spokesman on Wednesday hinted that the ailing pontiff might be discharged soon from the hospital, saying he hoped Thursday's scheduled medical b-u-l-l-e-t-i-n would be the last. • • That comment was interpreted by some as a sign the pope's return to the Vatican to continue his recovery would come soon, possibly Friday or • Saturday. • • A return late this week to his apartment in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace would coincide with a traditional Lenten period of spiritual reflection for • the pontiff with no public ceremonies. • • That way, he could try to regain strength without having to cancel anything. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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