After a night in the hospital, Pope Francis is doing better. This was announced by Matteo Bruni, the spokesman for the Holy See, on Thursday. The pontiff is being treated for bronchitis and is receiving antibiotic infusions, the doctors reported.
The Pope "recovered well," said Bruni. His condition is "gradually improving and he is continuing the planned treatment". The 86-year-old read a few newspapers in the morning, then worked and rested. In the private apartment within the clinic, he also prayed in a chapel and received the Eucharist.
Release probably in a few days
Shortly before Easter, many believers worry about the head of the Catholic Church. Francis was surprisingly admitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic on Wednesday. The Holy See could not say how long his stay there would last. Bruni had spoken of "a few days" the night before. The doctors said: "According to the foreseeable course, the Holy Father could be released in the next few days."
Dozens of journalists and camera teams gathered in front of the hospital on Thursday. Many visitors and patients of the hospital looked up from the forecourt to the tenth floor where the pontiff's rooms are. The blinds were mostly down.
Easter without Pope?
It is therefore still unclear whether Francis will be able to celebrate the upcoming Holy Week and Easter Sunday - the most important days in the Catholic church year - in the Vatican. The Pope's appointments and audiences on Thursday and Friday have already been cancelled. Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, announced that the upcoming Masses will be celebrated by cardinals in the next few days. It was unclear whether the Pope would manage to attend the services anyway.
According to consistent media reports, the Argentine also had problems in his heart, which he felt, among other things, after the general audience on Wednesday. His personal medical supervisor, Massimiliano Strappetti, then recommended going to the hospital. In addition to the diagnosis of the respiratory infection, tests did not yield any worrying findings, as the media said.
"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages he has received and is grateful for the closeness and prayer," said Bruni. A number of Christians wished the Pope a speedy recovery, including US President Joe Biden and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
In the summer of 2021, Franziskus underwent intestinal surgery at the Gemelli Polyclinic. At that time he spoke the Sunday Angelus prayer from a balcony of the hospital.
