Vatican City - Ailing Pope John Paul approved a flurry of Church appointments around the world on Friday in another possible indication he was approaching the end of his life.
A Vatican statement said the Pope had appointed 17 new bishops and archbishops and accepted the resignation of six others.
The nominations and resignations included bishops in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, republics of the former Soviet Union and the Pacific.
The large number of appointments and resignations, unusual for one day, was an indication that the Pope, who appeared close to death on Friday, wanted to clear up unfinished business.