Francesco has concelebrated Mass under stable conditions.
By: Ester Palma – Corriere della Sera
Published:
In the purple Lenten vestments on his white cassock, with freshly cut hair and a fixed gaze on the small crucifix on the altar of the chapel on the tenth floor of Gemelli Hospital: the first photo of the Pope after over a month of hospitalization shows him seated in a wheelchair, facing away, while concelebrating the Mass of the second Sunday of Lent.
In the image released by the Vatican press office to dispel the many fake news about Francis’s health, the oxygen tubes are not visible: but since the Pope is captured sideways, they could be present but not visible. The photo follows the brief audio released during the rosary in St. Peter’s Square on March 6th, where, in pain and with a weak voice, he thanked the faithful.
His clinical condition remains, according to Vatican sources, “stable, with no significant changes”: he continued therapy and physiotherapy throughout the day, both motor and respiratory, “benefiting especially from the motor aspect.” This is considered a “positive” development, along with his ability to do some work, despite not receiving visitors. However, no new medical bulletin is expected for today.
But yesterday, Francis wanted the text of his Sunday Angelus to be released, a text he wrote but couldn’t speak: “I am going through a trial period, and I join many sick brothers and sisters: fragile, like me, at this moment. Our bodies are weak, but even so, nothing can stop us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being there for each other, shining signs of hope in faith.”
Then the text written by the Pope continues: “How much light shines in hospitals and care centers in this sense. How much loving attention brightens the rooms, corridors, clinics, and places where the humblest services are provided! Therefore, I would like to invite you today to give praise to the Lord with me, who never abandons us and places people reflecting a ray of His love beside us in times of pain.” The reference is to the Gospel of the day, the Transfiguration of Jesus and His light perceived by the apostles. Francis then invited the faithful to pray “for the Church, called to translate the discernment made in the recent Synodal Assembly into concrete choices. I thank the General Secretariat of the Synod, which will accompany the local Churches in this endeavor over the next three years.” On Saturday, the Vatican announced that on March 11th, Francis approved a schedule of events related to the Synod for the next three years, culminating in an ecclesial assembly in the Vatican in October 2028.
Finally, the Pope thanked the 300 children who, in the morning, despite the rain, gathered in the courtyard of Gemelli Hospital to bring him a “symbolic caress,” as explained by Father Enzo Fortunato, president of the Pontifical Committee for the World Children’s Day, the organizer of the event. The children, from the Schools of Peace of Sant’Egidio, Catholic schools, Boy Scouts, and Catholic Action, the Auxilium cooperative, and the Focolare Movement, brought white roses, Francis’s favorite, drawings, and letters, singing encouragement for Francis: “I know that many children are praying for me; some of them have come here to Gemelli as a sign of closeness. Thank you, dear children: the Pope loves you and always looks forward to meeting you.”
