Vatican technicians have wired the apartment of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican with a live TV link.
This will enable the ailing Pope to appear before the faithful on television during Easter ceremonies without risking infection.
The Pope's public appearances during Holy Week have been cut to a bare minimum to enable him to continue his convalescence after throat surgery.
He has spent a month in a hospital recovering from the operation.
No further medical bulletins have been issued since he left hospital more than a week ago, but the Italian media is reporting that the 84-year old Pope had further breathing difficulties on Monday, causing concern to his doctors.
The Rome newspaper, Il Messaggero, quoted the Pope's private secretary as telling another Polish priest to "pray for the Pope as he's getting worse".
Televised blessing
Wednesday's general audience at the Vatican has been cancelled because of the Pope's illness.
He could make an appearance however via the new live TV link which Vatican technicians have temporarily installed by running red coaxial cables across internal courtyards inside the Apostolic Palace.
The Pope lives on the top floor of the palace and normally blesses pilgrims from his study window overlooking Saint Peter's Square.
The Vatican has apparently given up plans to transport the Pope to the Colosseum in Rome for the traditional Good Friday procession.
But on Easter Sunday, the Pope is insisting on carrying out his customary Urbi et Orbi blessing, even though his Easter message will have to be read out for him by an aide.
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