Ed On the Mend

Sure, the beat might be taking a breather this week... by the looks of it, however, New York's apostolic administrator could use some extra prayers on this Palm Sunday:

Cardinal Edward Egan was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital [late Saturday] after experiencing stomach pains....

Doctors were running tests Sunday.

Egan was awake and alert. Doctors were unclear what his problem was, but Church officials said the situation was not serious.

Egan did not attend his last Palm Sunday Mass in New York this morning. Bishop Dennis Sullivan celebrated the service in his place.

On two related notes, Bishop Frederick Campbell of Columbus underwent surgery last Monday to remove his left leg due to complications of skin cancer and a bone infection, while word from the Diamond State says that Uncle Mickey -- Wilmington's recently-retired Bishop Michael Saltarelli -- is resting up following an emergency quadruple-bypass performed on Thursday.

For these and all those suffering through this Holy Week -- whether in body, mind or spirit -- let's send up some especially good words over the coming days.

SVILUPPO: At 2.30 this afternoon, the New York chancery released the following statement....

Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York, will receive a pacemaker on Monday, April 6, 2009 at St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan. The decision to implant the pacemaker was made after he underwent various tests following his admission to the hospital late in the evening of Saturday, April 4. The Cardinal went to St. Vincent’s complaining of stomach pains....

The Cardinal is awake and alert, and his stomach pains have decreased. He expressed his disappointment at not being able to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick.

Egan's next scheduled Holy Week appearance is the Big Apple's Chrism Mass on Tuesday night in St Patrick's, where the archbishop traditionally leads all the major liturgies of these days.

According to his spokesman, the cardinal is expected to be released from St Vincent's a day after the procedure. The 77 year old's presiding schedule for the remainder of his final week in office will be decided with his doctors following tomorrow's operation.

SVILUPPO 2: Another statement, released at 5.40pm....

After further consultation with his doctors, the pacemaker implant for Edward Cardinal Egan has been temporarily postponed. The pacemaker will not be installed on Monday, April 6, as was announced earlier today.

The doctors explained that for the Cardinal the implant was not an emergency procedure, and could wait until his stomach ailment had improved and he has an opportunity to regain some strength.

Decisions about the Cardinal’s participation in Holy Week services will be made when the Cardinal is feeling better and with the input of his doctors.

The surgery to implant the pacemaker will be scheduled for a later date.

PHOTO: AP

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