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Marcos Brindicci / Reuters
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to lead the Catholic Church following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
Vatican officials now say that the new Pope Francis lost just part of a lung to disease as a young man, and that the injury has never affected his work.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires had a pulmonary illness some 40 years ago during which part of one lung was removed, according to Fr. Frederico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office.
"This has never been an obstacle either in his rhythm or for his work, his life, or his pastoral care, as demonstrated by leading a diocese that requires such dedication as that of Buenos Aires," Lombardi said in a press release issued by the Vatican on Thursday.
Early reports had suggested that Bergoglio had only one lung.
Still, doctors said that any significant lung loss likely hadn't limited the 76-year-old pontiff's energy or actions in the past -- and shouldn't stop him in the future.
Pope Francis appears to be fit and lean and should have lung capacity that is nearly normal, said Dr. Zab Mosenifar, a lung expert at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
"It just didn't faze me," Mosenifar said.
The new pope likely lost part of his lung decades ago, at a time when severe fungal infections or pneumonia were treated with surgery because antibiotics weren't widely available. But his existing lung likely grew and expanded to near-normal capacity within a year or two, said Mosenifar, who is co-medical director of the Women's Guild Lung Institute.
Human lungs have excess capacity, which is why doctors typically use only one lung in transplants. There are likely 30,000 to 40,000 transplant patients in the U.S. living with one lung, and thousands more who lost an entire lung or part of a lung to disease or trauma, Mosenifar said.
Many single-lung patients go on to have not only normal lives, but active ones, said Dr. Edward Salerno, a pulmonologist with Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn.
"They can exercise and not feel any dysfunction," he said.
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I can read the myth-makers getting ready for this one: The reunification of the Eastern Church will occur under this papacy.
Pope Francis' has a single lung and represents the Western Church. The missing lung is the Eastern Church. Soon the Catholic Church will breathe with both again!
Can someone get me a "Do Not Resuscitate Order STAT?
If George Bush can be president of the USA with less than half a brain and a "C" college average (well, and with the help of his old man and oil cronies) Pope Francis should do fine, comparatively speaking.
reno 911 uses his spidy-senses to perceive Barack Obama's college grades.
Who give a dam if he screwed around in his first 2 yrs of college
He DID go to Harvard Law. He DID graduate in the top 1/4 (IIRC) of his class and with honors. And he DID run their prestigious Law Review.
You can't do ANY of those things without being very intelligent AND a good student.
I think when people try to talk about Obama' s grades, at least sometimes it's a backhand way of saying "he got where he went only because of affirmative action".
Affirmative action fyi is meant to give a boost to minority students because they LACK the boost that many WHite students have (But are oblivious too). Our (white) boost is not being Black in our society, which still has racial biases.
Normally you need TOP grades to get into Harvard Law, and I doubt they'd accept someone even under affirmative action, that was a poor student.
IF a Black student got in under Affirmative Action...then became an ESTEEMED President (everyone says he was a really great Law Review President...including that Harvard Law Grad that worked in the Bush admin and was a Republican), all it would mean is that the affirmative action WORKED in promoting the talented and qualified minority person who could actually perform and succeed.
No matter his grades he still sucks. JMO
I would be glad to get you such an order; you wil not be missed.
I can't believe how you morons got this conversation aimed at The President of the United states who for the "RECORD" graduated "Magna Cum Laude".
Ok idiots, that means "Top 10%" of his class. Now for you morons, "Top 10 %" of a Harvard Law School Graduating Class is no easy feat. That is Top 10 % of the top 1% of Law School Graduates.
What really defines the idiots here is all of this is common knowledge for anyone who knows anything about College. To add further insult to you morons, it is traditional not to release the grades of graduates in Public Office no matter how poor or good they are. It is considered impolite and unethical for the universities and self centered for the graduates.
Sheesh, you should have to have a license to post!
Reno, it's the weekend. Trying to find fresh news on NBC is like finding a first-run episode of CSI in July.
He's an old man. Give us a break.
The church is evolving. Let's pray for his continued good health...
NOT!
hey Sonya! How exactly is the church evolving?
Sonya's repeated wishful thinking has apparently become reality for her of church's evolution. Oh well, if only.
Since he lost one lung, he has cut his cigarette smoking in half. Bazinga !!
1 lung @ 76. Sooooooooo they will be voting again in the next year.
ALL Hail Krishna!
May God bless and keep His Holiness. He has my support and prayers.
Peace.
It is sad that brain does not come in pairs.
I am glad that His Holiness, Pope Francis I, is from the "New World".
I pray that he will have a healthy term as the leader of the Catholic Church that will last for at least 10 years and that he will be able to travel around the world spreading the faith of Christ to every corner of the world.
Actually, with one lung and his age, he will have to be very careful about air travel. He should take an oxygen assist with him. And say 5 hail marys.
Wow! When did we all become so cynical? What a relief that we do not have to take on the sins of others. Why not just pray for him and the burden he has taken on. God bless you all! Give to the guy at the side of the road, don't worry about his sin, but yours by not taking care of the' least of your brother'.
Is there something about this process that only allows old men to be involved. 76 and one lung. Are there no 60 year old Cardinals that can get around and be active in daily activities. I just don;t get it.
As for the George Bush remarks, Abe Lincoln had no college and was the best. George Bush is gone. How about moving on to something new, like the liar we have now in office who wants nothing to do other than show how uppity he is and take vacations. The best part of this man ran down daddy's leg in Kenya. What a waste.
As a trained chemist, perhaps this pope will understand the difference between contraception and abortifacient.
Too much to ask? Probably.
Seems ironic that science, religion, and lawyers all rely on the same dead language to define themselves.
The cardinals keep electing elderly frail men to lead the church. Could it be that ambition drives this? A young, healthy Pope could occupy the papal apartments for decades, outliving others whose papal desires are smoldering deep within them.
Are you writing a papal conspiracy book or movie script ? .....I can hear the scary church music already
Dan Brown: time to fire-up the word processor again!
The guy has made it to 76 on one lung. Why is this even a published story? Why heck, John Wayne made a whole bunch of movies on one lung too! It's not uncommon, thus not a story.
This is what you call "term limits" for the Catholic Church ......We should require that all members of congress and the senate have a lung removed before taking office ...
Too bad they opt for the elective surgery and have their common sense removed instead! LOL
I'd love to send him a carton of Malboro.
He ""functions at 85-90% of a person who doesn't take care of himself", yeah that is a problem. So maybe he was selected to make some important changes on his watch, like pedophile priests, and then be replaced by someone more acceptable by the corporate officers.
The new pope likely lost part of his lung decades ago, at a time when severe fungal infections or pneumonia were treated with surgery because antibiotics weren't widely available. But his existing lung likely grew and expanded to near-normal capacity within a year or two, said Mosenifar, who is co-medical director of the Women's Guild Lung Institute.
Only part of his lung folks. Now I will say a prayer for the health and longivity of His Holiness.
I am surprised at the number of off topic and anti-church posts.
I had an aunt and uncle who each had lost a lung to tuberculosis; in fact they met at the clinic. I would not call them athletic, but they could do any normal activity of day to day living.
Being the practical pontiff he is, a little Primatine in the thurible and he's good to go!
no offense intended!
Who the hell cares, one lung, two lungs, he's just another idiot like the rest of us. Its ridiculous that so many people all of a sudden think this guy is the greatest. He's just another schmo!