‘Deeply saddened': Local diocese, parishioners react to news of Pope Francis' continued health struggles
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Vatican announces Saturday that Pope Francis, already hospitalized, was in critical condition following additional health complications.
New details released in fatal Akron police-involved shooting
The pope, who has been in a Rome hospital since Feb. 14, suffered an asthma-like respiratory crisis that required high-flow oxygen to be administered and blood transfusions, the Vatican said.
As the pope continues to battle an infection in his lungs, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland shared a statement from Bishop Edward Maelsic with Fox 8:
'We are deeply saddened and very concerned to hear that Pope Francis is now in critical condition, the result of his recent respiratory difficulties. I call on all the faithful in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and indeed all persons of faith, to pray for his healing and recovery. We will continue to include the pope in our petitions at all Masses this weekend and going forward. May God bless our beloved Pope Francis and provide him with the strength and grace necessary to continue his work in shepherding the Catholic Church as the successor of Saint Peter.'
Parishioners heading to mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland on Saturday shared their reactions to the news with Fox 8.
Woman arrested in 'sinister' romance scheme that left 3 older men dead
'Oh my gosh. It's just so sad because I'm really a big fan of this pope. He's done so much for the Catholic church,' Izabella Mendes said. 'I just hope he gets better really soon, and I'll be praying for him.'
'I just offer up all the thoughts and prayers I can as an individual. I hope other Catholics and other people of all faiths pray for the man who has led us quite well over the last number of years. Hopefully God will do his thing and whatever is meant to be, will be,' Tim Walsh added.
The Vatican added in its statement that Francis, 88, remains alert and spent the day sitting in an armchair; However, he is in a great deal of pain.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
This Father's Day, I'm celebrating the two dads in my life
For many young girls, their father is the childhood hero who carries their bike, puts the Band-Aid on their injuries, and – in my case – caught me when I fell off the horse. But when I was 15, Dad did a lot more than clean a scraped knee. On my way to softball practice, I was in a head-on collision that left me with a traumatic brain injury and in a coma for more than two weeks. I didn't know it at the time, but my father, who is a first responder for our county, was on the scene. He stabilized my neck as the emergency team extracted me from the car and lifted me into the ambulance. For many fathers, that might be the most heroic and most difficult thing they do for a child. But a few months after the accident, Dad did something even harder: he told me that there was a bigger hero in my life – God – and that my recovery was between me and Him. In rural Nebraska, where I live, most 15-year-olds are learning how to drive, stressing over geometry and working on their family farms. That year, however, I was in a brain trauma rehabilitation facility, learning how to walk, identify colors and eat properly. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done, especially as someone who had played softball, raised horses and coached Special Olympian barrel racers. Now I needed help for things as basic as brushing my teeth, getting dressed and going to the bathroom. One day, I was done with it all. Discouraged, exhausted and resigned to a helpless existence, I told the therapist to take me back to my room at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital. There was Dad, once again my biggest supporter, who literally had saved my life. Only this time, he wasn't the hero. "I can't make you walk," he said. "This is a conversation you need to have with God." I was floored, but Dad was right. I was stuck in my own misery and had never taken my circumstances to my Heavenly Father. Part of it was pride. I had been the one who was competitive and took care of others. Now I was totally dependent on others. In total humility, I stared at the ceiling of my rehab room, and I asked God for help. The next day, I was ready to try again and to try and stand for the first time. Almost three years after that conversation, I still don't know why God allowed me to be in that accident. But I've come to realize that my story isn't about me – but about what it can do for others. For example, I was ticked when I found out that 98,000 people on my Caring Bridge page saw images of me on a hospital bed. But I've also heard from some of those people directly that seeing my struggle gave them hope and increased their faith. I went to prom this spring with a young man named Carson, a friend I made at Madonna. He was in an accident like mine and is confined to a wheelchair. While his body is still struggling, it's clear that his light is very much alive. What he needs more than anything as he continues on his recovery is to feel a real connection with other people, especially those his age. And this summer, I'll be going to New Orleans with 20,000 teenagers, young adults and supportive adults for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Youth Gathering. My story won't be plastered on the screens, but it'll certainly come up in conversation, especially since I attended the last Gathering just months before my accident. Answering "What have you been up to?" could help kids recovering from their own traumas, impacted by family abuse, or simply stuck in the mental health challenges common in my generation. On Father's Day, I'm eternally grateful that I get to spend yet another one with my dad, the man who held me as a baby and also when I was being loaded into an ambulance. And I'm even more grateful to the Heavenly Father, who is still the other hero by my side.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Cleveland health officials warn COVID spike is coming
[Watch in the player above: How to know whether you have COVID, flu, RSB or strep] CLEVELAND (WJW) — Cleveland Department of Public Health officials said a sharp uptick in COVID gene copies recently detected in city wastewater samples indicates a 'strong likelihood of increased community spread in the coming days or weeks.' Sampling last week of untreated wastewater from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant shows a more than 250% increase in the SARS-CoV-2 viral levels between June 8 and June 10, according to a Friday news release from the health department. Massive egg recall hits Ohio Walmart stores The sampling also showed high levels of influenza that are still 'trending upward' as well as high levels of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be shed through feces — even by people who aren't yet showing symptoms of infection — so wastewater sampling can help detect community spread early. 'Increasing viral concentrations in wastewater are often a leading indicator of future spikes in illness, hospitalizations and transmission throughout the community,' Cleveland Director of Public Health Dr. David Margoulis is quoted in the release. 'This data provides us with an early warning system, and we're encouraging residents and institutions to take preventive steps now.' The health department urges residents to get their shots or boosters for COVID-19 and the flu and urges people who are experiencing respiratory symptoms to stay home or wear a mask if they need to go out in public. Iran fires missiles at Israel in retaliation The World Health Organization is tracking a new COVID-19 variant called NB.1.8.1, or 'Nimbus' that is more transmissible than other variants, The Hill reported this week. Its symptoms appear to be similar to those caused by other COVID variants: cough, fever, fatigue, muscle aches and loss of smell or taste, according to the CDC. As of Wednesday, June 11, the Nimbus variant had been found in 13 states, including Ohio. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
First millennial saint Carlo Acutis will be canonized Sept. 7, the pope says
ROME — Pope Leo XIV on Friday set Sept. 7 as the rescheduled date to canonize the Catholic Church's first millennial-era saint, Carlo Acutis, in what is expected to be Leo's first saint-making ceremony as well. Leo made the announcement during a meeting of cardinals, known as a consistory, to set the dates for a handful of new saints. Acutis' canonization was originally scheduled for April 27, but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Acutis was 15 when he died in northern Italy in 2006, after a short bout with leukemia. He has become enormously popular especially among young Catholics who have been flocking to his tomb in Assisi. While he enjoyed regular pastimes for his age — hiking, video games and joking around with friends — he also taught catechism in a local parish and did outreach to the homeless. He used his computer skills to create an online exhibit about more than 100 eucharistic miracles recognized by the church over many centuries. His tomb in Assisi has become a pilgrimage site especially during the 2025 Holy Year underway. It features a glass coffin in which Acutis can be seen dressed in sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt. In setting the Sept. 7 date, Leo announced Acutis would be canonized along with another Italian Catholic, Pier Giorgio Frassati, who also died young at age 24 after contracting polio. Assisi Bishop Domenico Sorrentino expressed joy Friday at the new date for the canonization and invited Leo to visit the tomb. He said the canonization of Acutis and Frassati would 'put holiness in ordinary life at the center of attention of the church, especially for new generations.' The Vatican requires that the church confirm two miracles attributed to the candidate's intercession in order to proceed with canonization. In Acutis' case, the second alleged miracle concerned the medically inexplicable healing of a Costa Rican young woman who suffered a severe head injury when she fell from a bike in Florence in 2022. Doctors said she was in an irreversible coma. According to Sorrentino's office, the young woman's mother prayed at Acutis' tomb and soon thereafter her daughter's condition improved. She was well enough to visit Acutis' tomb in September. The first alleged miracle occurred in 2013 in Brazil and concerned a young boy afflicted with a grave pancreatic disorder who got better after praying to Acutis. Winfield writes for the Associated Press.
