Pope Francis is expected to leave the hospital tomorrow, and to be present at the Palm Sunday Mass on Sunday, the Vatican announced.
The Holy Father has been hospitalized at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome for more than 48 hours.
Yesterday evening, it was announced that he is suffering from “infectious bronchitis” and therefore is undergoing therapy with antibiotics administered intravenously.
Here is a communiqué from the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni:
“Yesterday went well, with a normal clinical course. In the evening, Pope Francis had dinner, eating pizza, together with those who assist him in these days of hospitalization: doctors, nurses, assistants and staff of the Gendarmerie were present with the Holy Father.
“This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and went back to work.
“His Holiness’s return home to Santa Marta is expected tomorrow, following the results of the latest tests this morning.”
So Pope Francis seem to be feeling much better after two days in the hospital. —RM
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The Gemelli Hospital in Rome where Pope Francis is receiving treatment (Vatican Media)
Here is an AP story about the Pope’s health:
Vatican: Pope to leave hospital on Saturday, eats pizza (link)
By Frances D’Emilio
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is expected to be discharged on Saturday from the Rome hospital where he is being treated for bronchitis as his recovery proceeds in a “normal” way, even had pizza for dinner and will be in St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday Mass, the Vatican said.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni gave the update in a written statement on Friday. In a subsequent statement, Bruni said that Francis was due to be in the square for the Mass, which marks the start of Holy Week and ushers in a series of solemn public ceremonies that culminate on Easter on April 9.
Francis, 86, was hospitalized on Wednesday at Gemelli Polyclinic, where doctors said the pontiff was receiving antibiotics intravenously to treat his bronchitis.
“Yesterday went well, with a normal clinical recovery,″ Bruni said. “In the evening (of Thursday), Pope Francis had dinner, eating a pizza, together with all those who are assisting him in these days of the hospital stay,” the spokesman said, including doctors, nurses, assistants and Vatican security personnel.
On Friday morning, the pope read newspapers and resumed his work after breakfast.
The pontiff’s return to the Vatican hotel where he lives “is expected for tomorrow, as a result of the last tests of this morning,″ Bruni said.
The spokesman later added that, given the pope would return to the Vatican on Saturday, Francis was expected to be present in the square for Palm Sunday Mass. He didn’t indicate whether Francis would deliver a homily during the ceremony, a particularly long service, or if someone else might read it for him.
Medical staff decided to hospitalize him on Wednesday after he returned to his Vatican residence following his customary weekly public audience in St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican reported he had experienced difficult breathing in the previous days.
Bruni on Thursday evening said that antibiotic treatment for bronchitis had resulted in a “marked” improvement in his health.
Francis sent a tweet on Friday possibly inspired by his current health challenge.
“When experienced with faith, the trials and difficulties of life serve to purify our hearts, making them humbler and thus more and more open to God,” Francis wrote. The tweet carried a hashtag for Lent, the period of the liturgical year stressing penitence and sacrifice in the run-up to the joyous Church celebration of Easter, which marks the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion.
The Vatican seemed keen to quickly dispel any worries about the pope’s physical fitness to carry on fully with his duties. Nearly immediately after the announcement of a discharge date for Francis, the Vatican announced that the pope would meet the prime minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday in a private audience at the Apostolic Palace.
The hospitalization came four days before outdoor Palm Sunday Mass, which usually draws tens of thousands of faithful, flocking to Rome before Easter.
Francis had already largely stopped celebrating Mass at major Catholic Church holy days because of a chronic knee problem, but had continued to preside at the ceremonies and deliver homilies.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said Friday that Francis would be able to preside over — but not celebrate — Holy Week ceremonies.
The Holy Week appointments include a stamina-taxing late night Way of the Cross procession marked by prayers on Good Friday at the Colosseum in Rome and Easter Mass on April 9, which is traditionally followed by a long papal speech delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
During Wednesday’s hour-long public audience, Francis at times appeared visibly in pain when he moved about and was helped by aides.
In July 2021, Francis underwent surgery at Gemelli Polyclinic after suffering from a narrowing of his colon. As a young man in Argentina, Francis had part of a lung removed.
[End AP article]
This was a second press office communiqué today:
Palm Sunday: “The presence of the Pope is expected” (link)
Friday, 31 March 2023
(Holy See Press Office) The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirms that: “Since your departure from the hospital is scheduled for tomorrow, the presence of Pope Francis is expected in St. Peter’s Square for the celebration Palm Sunday Eucharist, Passion of the Lord.”
This was a press communiqué from yesterday evening containing some medical information from his doctors:
Statement on the state of health of Pope Francis: Infectious bronchitis. Clear improvement with therapy (link)
Thursday, 30 March 2023
(Holy See Press Office) The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, communicates that:
“Pope Francis spent the afternoon at the Gemelli, dedicating himself to rest, prayer and some work duties.”
We send below the information of the medical staff who follow the Holy Father at the hospital:
“In the context of clinical checks scheduled for the Holy Father, an infectious bronchitis was found which required the administration of an antibiotic therapy on an infusion basis which produced the expected effects with a clear improvement in the state of health. On the basis of the foreseeable after that the Holy Father could be resigned in the next few days.”
This is an interesting interview in Spanish which contains positive judgments Pope Francis made recently about Pope Benedict:
A new interview with the Pope: Francis affirms that Benedict was the one who began to denounce the abuses in the Catholic Church (link)
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