POPE Frances is praying for peace in Ukraine from the hospital after the historic Oval Office showdown, the Vatican has said.
The 88-year-old pontiff has been in Rome‘s Gemelli hospital for days now after he was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.
Francis was admitted on February 14 after struggling with breathing difficulties
Splash The Vatican has cancelled Pope Francis’ upcoming engagements[/caption]
SplashFrancis, 88, is battling a ‘complex’ respiratory infection[/caption]
Just two days ago, there was a sudden deterioration in Pope’s health condition after he suffered an “isolated” breathing crisis following a bout of bronchospasm.
Vatican said Francis had “an episode of vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory condition.”
As a result, again skipped his weekly noon blessing to avoid even a brief public appearance from the hospital.
However, the Vatican secretary of state said that Francis instead addressed a message to thank the doctors and well-wishers, and pray for peace in Ukraine.
Francis said in his message: “From here, war appears even more absurd.”
He added that he was living his hospitalisation as an “experience of profound solidarity” with people who are “sick and suffering everywhere”.
“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,” Francis said in the text.
“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.”
It comes days after Trump, his number two JD Vance and Zelensky engaged in a brutal three-way shouting match inside the White House.
Trump openly berated Zelensky for not being “thankful”, and later accused the Ukrainian leader of “not being ready for peace”.
It marked the third weekend in a row that Francis has canceled the Sunday appointment delivering the Angelus prayer in person.
He could have done so from his 10th floor hospital suite at the Gemelli hospital if he were well enough.
However, many signs indicated he was improving, especially after his recent respiratory crisis that raised the possibility of a new infection.
A Vatican official, speaking anonymously, stated that the breathing issue “did not last a long time” and that doctors would need 24-48 hours to assess its impact on his clinical condition.
The Vatican said in its Sunday update: “The night was quiet, the pope is still resting.”
Francis was up, read the Sunday papers and had coffee and breakfast while continuing with his therapy, officials added.
Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, has a history of lung problems, having had part of one lung removed due to pleurisy as a young man.
But while his condition appears to have stabilised, the prognosis remains uncertain.
In light of his fragile health, the Vatican also announced that Pope Francis will not lead the annual Ash Wednesday service on March 5, marking the beginning of Lent.
A senior Vatican official will take his place for the significant Church event.
How will the next Pope be chosen?
THE next Pope is chosen through a process called a papal conclave, which takes place after the current Pope dies or resigns.
Here’s how it works:
The College of Cardinals is summoned to the Vatican
The cardinals meet in the Sistine Chapel and vote by a secret ballot
They will prepare for the upcoming papal elections – called a conclave
These Catholic leaders will vote once on the first days and four times a day on each additional day
This vote will continue until one candidate gets two-thirds of the vote
The nominee must then accept the offer and choose their new papal name
This outcome will be confirmed to the public when white smoke burns out of the Sistine Chapel chimney
Despite his hospitalization, the Pope has continued to oversee Vatican affairs.
Daily staff appointments requiring his approval are still being announced, and on Friday, the Vatican released a papal letter to participants in a Church training course in Rome, signed by Francis with a note stating it was sent “from Gemelli hospital.”
Cardinal Michael Czerny, head of the Vatican’s development office, told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper that while Francis is improving, it is happening “slower than what we would like.”
The Vatican has also firmly denied that Francis is considering stepping down – despite growing speculation about a possible resignation.
The Pope’s illness has prompted an outpouring of support from the faithful.
Thousands have been gathering in St. Peter’s Square to pray for his recovery, while visitors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital — where he is being treated — paused to offer prayers at the statue of St. John Paul II outside the main entrance.
EPAHe is currently being treated at the Agostino Gemelli Hospital in Rome[/caption]
EPA
Flowers and candles are laid at the foot of a statue of Pope St. John Paul II outside the Gemelli University Hospital, where Pope Francis is hospitalised[/caption]
EPAA candle with the image of Pope Francis (L) outside Gemelli University Hospital, where the Pontiff is battling pneumonia and a respiratory infection[/caption]
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