Pope Francis, who is responding well to treatment for pneumonia, expressed his gratitude to doctors and healthcare workers on Sunday as he missed delivering his fourth consecutive Angelus prayer in person.
The 88-year-old, who has been hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since February 14, shared a written message for the Angelus. In it, he thanked volunteers who help those in need, praising their “closeness and tenderness.”
“I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care, especially from the doctors and healthcare workers, to whom I express my heartfelt thanks,” he said.
“We need this—‘the miracle of tenderness’—which accompanies those in adversity, bringing a bit of light into the darkness of pain,” he continued in the message, which was published by the Vatican.
The pope, leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, has been to the Gemelli Hospital before, notably for colon surgery in 2021 and a hernia operation in 2023. However, this hospitalization has been more serious, as Francis has experienced several respiratory crises, leading to concerns that his recovery might take longer or even prompt him to consider resignation due to his age and health issues.
On Saturday, the Vatican reported that the pope was beginning to respond well to treatment, with “a gradual, slight improvement” after several days without respiratory crises. While he does not have a fever, doctors are awaiting further positive results “in the coming days” before providing a prognosis, according to an evening medical bulletin. The next update is expected on Monday afternoon.
A life of service
Throughout his hospitalization, Francis has alternated between resting, praying, and working when he feels up to it. On Sunday morning, he met with Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, another senior Vatican official.
In St. Peter’s Square, where the pope would typically stand at the window to lead the Angelus prayer for the crowds below, many expressed that his absence was deeply felt.
“He is a wonderful person who has given so much, and I hope he can return soon,” said Diana Desiderio, a volunteer with the civil protection agency in Pescara. “We are praying that he comes back to the window again and brings peace and serenity to everyone, because we need it,” she told AFP.
At the close of the Angelus, the pope reiterated his traditional call for peace in areas of conflict, particularly in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also expressed concern over the renewed violence in some regions of Syria, urging for an end to the conflict and full respect for all ethnic and religious groups in the country.
Catholics have been gathering at Gemelli Hospital to pray for the pope, leaving flowers, candles, and cards in tribute. Giuseppe Antonio Perazzo, 74, was there for the second Sunday in a row, dressed in a suit and tie, hoping for a glimpse of the pope at the window. He held up a sign visible from the pope’s room, urging the Argentine pontiff—a famously strong-willed patient—to “keep doing what the doctors and nurses tell you to do.”
AFP
