2.
So long as you make an appointment, it is technically possible to have a meeting with the pope (I know several people who have, and they are neither nuns nor priests-but are Catholic). I do not know how hard it is to get approval for this appointment though, and do not know the protocol either
3.
I am going to differentiate between general fever (raised body temperature), and infections of the brain (encephalitis).
Normally, there are cells in your brain (glial cells: mainly astrocytes) that enshroud the capillaries and create an extra layer of protection between the brain and the external environment, including infectious agents (in particular bacteria and viruses) and toxic chemicals (not specifically, but you get the idea). This barrier is commonly known as the
Blood Brain Barrier and abbreviated to the BBB.
The formation of the BBB is a complex interaction between the astrocytes and the capillaries... where the astrocytes force the capillaries to close off their "normal leakage points", where the substances would leave the blood stream and enter the rest of the body's interstitial fluid (between cells). extra proteins are found to increase the absorption of some chemicals (glucose and the essential amino acids for example). Pharmacologists utilise the chemical specificity of the BBB to either increase the crossing of wanted drugs and substances(psychological medicines), or prohibit the crossing of unwanted substances (as in chemo therapy for cancers).
to quote Wikipedia
the blood-brain barrier is an effective way to protect the brain from common infections. Thus infections of the brain are very rare; however, as antibodies are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier, when infections of the brain do occur they can be very serious and difficult to treat.
there are lots of ways that the BBB can have its integrity compromised. the stress of any surgery (not only brain surgery) is known to do this, as are certain infectious agents, and a few drugs (would have to find a reference for specific drugs, but can do this in a few days for you).
The scars seen in the brain are formed by the very same astrocytes that induce the barrier. Unfortunately I cannot give my reference for this BC it comes from my university of Sydney Lecture/lecturer's research, and copy-write etc. would be a problem...(but I am sure there are some out there, just am too tired now, maybe I will try to find one later).
physical scars should actually act to increase the barrier's integrity (imagine a piece of super-glue stuck in the brain...)
But depending on where the scars came from, then they may or may not be associated with increased risk of infection, depending on if it was during a current surgery/general head trauma or an old one,
