Pope Francis asks for prayers in message from clinic

Sarah Rainsford

Europe Correspondent

Reuters Pope Francis in white and gold vestments and glasses leading prayers at Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican at the beginning of February

Pope Francis has requested Catholics to hope for him, as he continues to obtain remedy in clinic for double pneumonia.

The pontiff used to be not able in order the normal Angelus worship in particular person for the second one Sunday working.

However in a message written over the ultimate few days, he stated he used to be “confidently continuing” his hospitalisation at Rome’s Gemelli Clinic and “carrying on with the necessary treatment”.

The message comes then the Vatican discoverable on Saturday that the 88-year-old’s status is still “critical”.

In his message, absolved on Sunday, the Pope thanked the docs and condition staff on the clinic, and well-wishers who despatched in messages.

“In recent days I have received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children,” he wrote.

“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.”

Neatly-wishers have endured to hope out of doors the clinic.

Dozens of community were discoverable lights candles and resignation them on the underpinning of a close-by statue of the overdue Pope John Paul II.

The 88-year-old used to be first admitted to clinic on 14 February then experiencing difficulties respiring for a number of days.

He’s particularly vulnerable to lung infections because of creating pleurisy – an irritation across the lungs – as an grownup and having a part of one in all his lungs got rid of at while 21.

All the way through his 12 years as chief of the Roman Catholic church, the Argentine has been admitted to clinic a number of instances, together with in March 2023 when he spent 3 nights in clinic with bronchitis.

Pope Francis asks for prayers in message from clinic — Neatly-wishers proceed to bundle and pray out of doors the clinic the place the Pope is receiving remedy

Reuters Dozens of people gather outside a statue of late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is receiving treatment — Neatly-wishers proceed to bundle and pray out of doors the clinic the place the Pope is receiving remedy

The Pope has requested for openness about his condition, so the Vatican has began to leave day by day statements. The pitch and area of the bulletins has various, occasionally resignation Pope-watchers to struggle to learn between the strains.

On Saturday, the Vatican stated the Roman Catholic chief used to be alert and spent the while in an armchair, however that he used to be “not out of danger” and that he used to be “more unwell” than he used to be on Friday.

They added the pontiff wanted blood transfusions because of a low platelet rely – related to anaemia – and he required a “high flow” of oxygen.

Docs treating the Pope showed this future that he used to be responding to cure however his status used to be advanced and the slightest alternate of condition would disappointed what used to be known as a “delicate balance”.

“He is the Pope,” as one in all them put it. “But he is also a man.”

The Pope additionally worn his message on Sunday to spotlight the 3rd per annum of the battle in Ukraine on Monday, and known as on community to keep in mind all sufferers of armed warfare and to “pray for the gift of peace in Palestine, Israel and throughout the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu and Sudan”.

The Angelus worship is most often delivered by means of the Pope from a window of the Apostolic Palace on the Vatican and is accompanied by means of a cut message.