Andrew Sullivan posed these questions in February:

We have been informed that the pontiff's current suffering and persistence against multiple illnesses and debilities is sending a message about the dignity of suffering and the importance of life. There is indeed a great truth to that. But there is also a point at which clinging to life itself becomes a little odd for a Christian, no? Isn't the fundamental point about Christianity that our life on earth is but a blink in the eye of our real existence, which begins at death and lasts for eternity in God's loving presence? Why is the Pope sending a signal that we should cling to life at all costs - and that this clinging represents some kind of moral achievement? Isn't there a moment at which the proper Christian approach to death is to let it come and be glad? Or put it another way: if the Pope is this desperate to stay alive, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Of course, the best answer comes from Pope John Paul II himself. This is from a homily he delivered on Feb. 2, 1997:

Life is a great gift of God, to be always welcomed with thanksgiving. If last Sunday I was concerned about the absence of values that threatens our society, today I would like forcefully to recall one of these basic values which must be absolutely recovered if we do not want to fall headlong into the abyss. I am referring to the sacred value of life, of every human life, from its origin in the mother's womb to its natural end.[Emphasis in original.]

The struggle being played out today is one man's desire to hold on to what he believes is a sacred gift: the gift of life. When the time comes, he'll embrace the next gift. But Pope John Paul II believes that it's not for him to say when that is.