Speculation that the Pope might resign has increased after a senior Vatican official said such a move would be "up to the Pope's conscience".
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, in answer to a reporter's query, expressed hope that John Paul II - hospitalised for a week with flu and breathing troubles - would surpass Pius IX's 32 years in office, the longest papacy.
However, he surprised some observers by not ruling out a resignation, which could indicate there is debate within the Vatican on the issue. Popes may resign but cannot be forced to do so.
"If there is a man who loves the Church more than anybody else, who is guided by the Holy Spirit, if there is a man who has marvellous wisdom, that's him. We must have great faith in the Pope. He knows what to do," said Cardinal Sodano, the Vatican's secretary of state, who is often mentioned as a possible papal successor.
The Pope, 84 and in his 27th year as pontiff, has repeatedly said he has no intention of abdicating.
On Sunday, in remarks read out by an archbishop, the Pope appeared to reassert his ability to carry on by saying that even in the hospital, "I can continue to serve the church and the whole of humanity."
In 1994, after hip replacement surgery, he joked with his surgeon about the church law that would let him resign if he becomes incapacitated.
"Doctor, neither you nor I have any choice. You have to cure me because there is no room for a pope emeritus," he said at the time.
Papal spokesman Mr Joaquin Navarro-Valls declined to comment on Cardinal Sodano's remarks, which caused a stir in Italy and are front-page news today.
The spokesman told reporters that the Pope continued to get better a week after his emergency admission to the Gemelli Polyclinic, but that "his doctors have advised him to stay a few more days".
Navarro-Valls refused to be pinned down on a discharge date for the Pope, who is also weakened by Parkinson's disease. "Doctors have suggested several more days," he said.
AP