Pope Francis shares written message while continuing hospitalization
A first-person written message from Pope Francis was shared Sunday as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church continues his hospitalization in Rome.
"I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children," Pope Francis posted on X Sunday. "Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!"
"I urge you to continue your apostolate with joy and to be a sign of a love that embraces everyone, as the #GospelOfTheDay suggests," another post said. "May we transform evil into goodness and build a fraternal world. Do not be afraid to take risks for love!"
The language was similar to part of Pope Francis' longer homily, which Archbishop Rino Fisichella read on his behalf while celebrating the Holy Mass for the Jubilee of Deacons on Sunday.
The Vatican released a copy of the text "prepared by the Holy Father."
"Brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!" the pope's homily began. "This morning, in Saint Peter's Basilica, the celebration of the Eucharist with the Ordination of some candidates to the diaconate was celebrated. I greet them and the participants in the Jubilee of Deacons, which has taken place in the Vatican in these days; and I thank the Dicasteries for the Clergy and for Evangelization for the preparation of this event."
Pope Francis urged the deacons "to continue your apostolate with joy and – as today's Gospel suggests – to be a sign of a love that embraces everyone, that transforms evil into goodness and engenders a fraternal world." \
"Do not be afraid to risk love!" the homily continued. "On my part, I am confidently continuing my hospitalization at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment; and rest is also part of the therapy! I sincerely thank the doctors and health workers of this hospital for the attention they are showing me and the dedication with which they carry out their service among the sick."
In the pre-prepared statement, Pope Francis added that Monday "will be the third anniversary of the large-scale war against Ukraine: a painful and shameful occasion for the whole of humanity!"
"As I reiterate my closeness to the suffering Ukrainian people, I invite you to remember the victims of all armed conflicts, and to pray for the gift of peace in Palestine, Israel and throughout the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu and Sudan," the message said.
"In recent days, I have received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children," the pope added. "Thank you for this closeness, and for the prayers of comfort I have received from all over the world! I entrust you all to the intercession of Mary, and I ask you to pray for me."
The Vatican said Pope Francis was conscious but still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen on Sunday, following a respiratory crisis and blood transfusions. He remains in critical condition with a complex lung infection.
The Holy See Press Office's brief statement early Sunday did not mention if Pope Francis was out of bed or eating breakfast, which it had on previous days.
"The night passed quietly, the pope rested," it said.
The Vatican later said Francis was conscious, continuing to receive supplemental oxygen and that further clinical tests were being conducted. A more detailed medical update was said to be later Sunday.
The 88-year-old pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 due to a worsening case of bronchitis.
On Saturday, doctors said Pope Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, was in critical condition after suffering a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection.
The pope received "high flows" of oxygen to help him breathe through a nasal tube. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Saturday statement also said that the pontiff "continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more discomfort than yesterday." Doctors said the prognosis was "reserved," and that the pope's condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease. His condition has revived speculation about what might happen if he becomes unconscious or otherwise incapacitated, and whether he might resign.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Is it true that … cold water plunges boost immunity?
'It's a long-held belief that taking to the waters is good for your health,' says Mike Tipton, a professor of human and applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth. From Roman frigidariums to Thomas Jefferson's foot baths, cold immersion has long been seen as curative. But does modern science support the idea that it boosts immunity? The answer: it's complicated. While cold water immersion does activate the body, that's not the same as strengthening the immune system. 'When you immerse yourself in cold water, your body undergoes the cold shock response,' says Tipton. 'You get rapid breathing, a spike in heart rate and a surge of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.' This may explain why people feel more alert or energised after a cold dip. But does it mean you're less likely to get sick? Many studies into the effects focus on immune cell activity in the blood – which can increase after cold exposure – but that doesn't always translate into fewer infections. 'It's easy to cherry-pick results,' says Tipton. He points to a frequently quoted Dutch study in which people who ended their daily hot showers with at least 30 seconds under cold water took 29% fewer sick days. While it's often used as an example of the powers of cold plunges, those participants actually reported the same number of infections as those who didn't have a cold shower. 'That might reflect increased resilience or just a willingness to push through because of being part of a study,' says Tipton, rather than better immunity. It may also be that regular cold plungers simply have a healthier lifestyle overall. A recent study by Tipton's team found that indoor and outdoor swimmers had fewer respiratory infections than non-swimmers, suggesting it may be the exercise, not the cold, doing the work. One thing is clear: too much cold is harmful. 'If your core temperature drops too far, it can suppress the immune system,' he says. His advice? Keep it short – no more than 90 seconds.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Washington Post
Pope meets with child protection advisory board amid survivor calls for zero tolerance on abuse
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Russian strike kills 5 in Ukraine, including a 1 year old, hours after Trump-Putin call
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least five people, including a 1-year-old child, his mother and grandmother, were killed Thursday in a nighttime Russian drone strike that hit the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky, officials said. Six drones hit a residential area in the city at 5:30 a.m. local time, according to authorities. The child killed was the grandson of an emergency responder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. 'One of the rescuers arrived to respond to the aftermath right at his own home,' Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram. 'It turned out that a Shahed drone hit his house.' The attack came just hours after Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin said 'very strongly' that Russia will retaliate for Ukraine's weekend stunning drone attacks on Russian military airfields. Drones struck across regions Six people were wounded in the Pryluky attack and are in hospital, officials said. Pryluky, which had a prewar population of around 50,000 people, lies about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Kyiv, the capital. The city is far from the front line and does not contain any known military assets. Zelenskyy said a total of 103 drones and one ballistic missile targeted multiple Ukrainian regions overnight, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro and Kherson. 'This is another massive strike,' Zelenskyy said. 'It is yet another reason to impose the strongest possible sanctions and apply pressure collectively.' US peace effort remains stalled Zelenskyy, who has accepted a U.S. ceasefire proposal and offered to meet with Putin in an attempt to break the stalemate in negotiations, wants more international sanctions on Russia to force it to accept a settlement. Putin has shown no willingness to meet with Zelenskyy, however, and has indicated no readiness to compromise. U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the more than 3-year-long war have delivered no significant progress, and the grinding war of attrition has continued unabated. Germany's new leader Friedrich Merz was due to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western diplomatic and military support for Ukraine. Ukraine's top presidential aide, Andriy Yermak, met with senior American officials in Washington on Wednesday and called for greater U.S. pressure on Russia, accusing the Kremlin of deliberately stalling ceasefire talks and blocking progress toward peace, according to a statement on the presidential website. Yermak, who traveled to the U.S. as part of a Ukrainian delegation, met with senior American officials to bolster support for Ukraine's defense and humanitarian priorities. He said Ukraine urgently needs stronger air defense capabilities. More people wounded in Kharkiv Hours later, seventeen people were injured in a Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Those hurt included children, a pregnant woman, and a 93-year-old woman, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At around 1:05 a.m., Shahed-type drones struck two apartment buildings in the city's Slobidskyi district, causing fires and destroying several private vehicles. 'By launching attacks while people sleep in their homes, the enemy once again confirms its tactic of insidious terror,' Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. Russian aircraft also dropped four powerful glide bombs on the southern city of Kherson, injuring at least three people, regional authorities said. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at Hanna Arhirova And Illia Novikov, The Associated Press
