POPE Francis has to relearn how to speak again following his battle with double pneumonia.
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez gave an update on the Pontiff’s condition as he remains at Rome‘s Gemelli Hospital, after suffering severe breathing problems and being placed on a ventilator.
AFPPope Francis has to ‘relearn to speak’ as he starts to recover from double pneumonia[/caption]
APFirst picture of the Pope since his hospitalisation as he celebrates a mass inside the chapel of the Agostino Gemelli polyclinic in Rome[/caption]
As Francis works to regain his strength and is said to be improving, the Cardinal confirmed that he will have to “relearn to speak”.
On Friday Fernandez said: “The Pope is doing very well, but high-flow oxygen dries everything out.
“He needs to relearn how to speak, but his overall physical condition is as it was before.”
Despite the long road he has to recovery, the Pontiff is hoping to make his first public appearance on Sunday following his health battle.
In an announcement on Saturday, the Vatican said: “Papa intends to appear at #Gemelli tomorrow shortly after 12:00 to greet and impart a blessing.
“The text of #Angelus will be released as on previous Sundays.“
The Cardinal also dismissed rumours of his retirement which have plagued the Holy See since the Pope’s hospital admission on February 14.
When speaking at the presentation of a new book by Francis on poetry, Fernandez was asked about if the 88-year-old would step down, to which he said: “I really don’t think so, no.”
“He could return, but the doctors want to be 100 per cent sure because he believes that with the little time he has left, he wants to dedicate himself entirely to others, not to himself,” he added.
The Pope has been in hospital for over a month, during which time he has suffered numerous health problems including kidney failure and numerous respiratory crises.
On Friday, the Vatican issued the latest update in his health saying that he was stable and showing “minor improvements in breathing and mobility”.
While no longer being on a mechanical ventilator, the Pope is receiving oxygen through a nasal cannula.
On March 6, the public was given a rare glimpse into his health battle with the release of a brief audio clip of him speaking from his sick bed.
In it, the Pontiff sounded breathless, with a frail and broken voice, and was difficult to understand.
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
But, he was seen for the first time since his hospitalisation last Sunday as he attended Holy Mass in the hospital chapel.
The Vatican’s social media post read: “This morning #PopeFrancis concelebrated the Holy Mass in the chapel of the apartment on the tenth floor of the Policlinico Gemelli.”
Cardinal Fernandez admitted on Friday that the Pope still has a long road ahead, adding that it is not known when he might be discharged and allowed to return to the Vatican.
He noted that he did not know if it would be in time for Easter which is on April 20.
While those close to the Pope and The Vatican continue to deny rumours of any resignation, rivals have not.
French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, who is tipped to be one of the contenders to replace Francis, said at a recent press conference that “everything is possible” when asked about such moves.
But, despite fears about his health, Francis has continued some of his work from his sickbed such as meeting with senior church members and conducting phone calls.
Initial rumours about him stepping down were sparked after it was revealed that the Pope had penned a resignation letter 12 years ago in case he became too ill to serve.
But Argentine journalist Elisabetta Pique, a friend and biographer of Francis, is adamant that the Pontiff will not step down.
“He’s always been a fighter. He doesn’t give in under pressure,” she said.
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AFPPope Francis celebrates the mass for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces days before he was hospitalised[/caption]
ReutersPeople have been holding daily prayers for the Pope’s health ever since he fell ill[/caption]
