New York Cardinal Egan hospitalized

NEW YORK, April 6 (UPI) -- Cardinal Edward Egan, the archbishop of New York, has been hospitalized and is due to receive a pacemaker once his strength returns, his spokesman says.

Egan's spokesman, Joseph Zwilling, said the head of the Roman Catholic New York archdiocese was hospitalized Saturday for stomach pains and doctors recommended he undergo low-risk pacemaker surgery, the New York Post said Monday.

"Doctors say although it's needed, it's not urgent," the spokesman said.

Zwilling said it had not been decided if cardinal will be able to attend any Holy Week services, including Easter Sunday Mass.

"That will be determined in conjunction with the doctors," Zwilling said.

The Post said Egan's bout of poor health comes as the 77-year-old cardinal is set to hand over his post to Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee.