The end of travel?
Another question Catholics are asking -- and the Vatican is studying -- is can the pope, should the pope, continue to travel?
When is the line crossed between when there is symbolic value in Catholics seeing him carrying on despite his suffering and when the pain of them watching it blots out the message?
"This will have to be taken into consideration the next time a decision is made on trips," a Vatican source said. "Movement is difficult, speech is difficult."
And what happens if the pope became severely disabled?
Popes usually rule until they die. No clear regulations exist if a pope is alive but incapacitated for a long time and none deal with what to do if a pope can no longer communicate.
"The ability of modern medicine to keep the body alive while the mind is deteriorating will eventually present the church with a constitutional crisis," said Father Thomas Reese, historian and editor of the US Jesuit weekly journal America.
There have been unconfirmed reports over the years that Pope John Paul has prepared a resignation letter to be used in case he became severely incapacitated and unable to rule.
While there is a provision in Church law for popes to retire, every time talk of retirement has come up in the past, John Paul has said he wants to stay on as long as God wants.
The last pope to resign willingly was Celestine V, who stepped down in 1294. Gregory XII reluctantly abdicated in 1415 when there was more than one pope reigning at the same time.
If the pope became very sick but could still communicate, he could delegate some of his authority to the cardinal secretary of state or another top Vatican official. But it would be limited to administrative matters and not include teaching authority, infallibility or the appointment of bishops.
"As with many people who are old and sick, there is a point when life itself becomes a prayer. The suffering that he endures is that kind of prayer," a prelate said.
"Divine providence is the anchor of his spirituality. He is also convinced that it affects his decisions and appointments. He knows that some people will disappoint him but he knows that it is God who is in charge of the Church," he said.
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