As he recovers from double pneumonia, Pope Francis has stated that he feels “carried” and “supported by all God’s people,” reports Sky.
For the third consecutive week, the 88-year-old pope did not attend his weekly midday blessing on Sunday. Instead of making a quick public appearance, the Vatican disseminated a statement from him.
The pope thanked his physicians for their care and well-wishers for their prayers, saying he was using his hospital stay as a chance to express solidarity with those who are ill and suffering everywhere, reports Sky.
“I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord. At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people. I would like to thank you for the prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world: I feel all your affection and closeness and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am ‘carried’ and supported by all God’s people,” Pope said, reports Sky.
The pope cancelled his Sunday engagement to personally conduct the Angelus prayer for the third consecutive weekend.
But according to a Sunday morning report from the Vatican, Francis was doing better and his condition was getting better: “The night was quiet, the Pope is still resting,” reports Sky.
He had no symptoms of increased blood cells or fever, which would suggest that his body is still battling an infection.
According to a Vatican insider, the pope got up on Sunday morning, had coffee and breakfast, and then read the newspaper, reports Sky.
According to them, the pope still need help getting around, even from his private chapel down the corridor to his hospital suite on the tenth floor.
For the second time since his admission last month, he met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, his head of staff, reports Sky.
According to Vatican insiders, the 88-year-old was switching between wearing a ventilation mask and high flow oxygen through nasal cannulas on Saturday night.
They reported that he was feeling upbeat and that his health had somewhat improved since his “isolated” respiratory issue on Friday, reports Sky.
Vatican officials emphasised earlier in the day that the pope was still in danger and that his medical state was identical to what it was when his health crisis started two weeks ago.
When asked if the pope had invasive treatment during Friday’s crisis, the Vatican insider said, “It is possible,” reports Sky.
After his bronchitis worsened and he developed pneumonia in both lungs, the pope, who had a portion of his lung removed when he was young, was taken to the Gemelli hospital in Rome on February 14.
Francis still has a long way to go, as seen by the new arrangements Vatican authorities have prepared for Ash Wednesday next week, reports Sky.
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