Pope Francis went to the hospital on Rome’s Tiber Island on Wednesday morning after meeting with the public at his general audience.
The Vatican confirmed on Feb. 28 that the pope underwent “diagnostic tests” at the Gemelli Isola Tiberina Hospital before returning to his Vatican residence shortly after noon.
According to the Holy See Press Office, the pope has had “a mild flu-like condition” since at least Saturday when he canceled his scheduled public appearances.
The 87-year-old pope appeared in a wheelchair at his Wednesday audience in Paul VI Hall where he had an aide read his speech for him after telling the crowd that he was still not well.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I still have a bit of a cold,” Pope Francis said in a soft-spoken voice as he explained that Monsignor Filippo Ciampanelli would read the text of his catechesis for him.
Despite feeling unwell, the pope greeted the crowd at the end of the audience, shaking hands with visiting pilgrims, blessing newlywed couples, and speaking with bishops before visiting the hospital.
Italian media spotted the pope leaving the Vatican in the backseat of a white Fiat 500 one hour before the Vatican officially confirmed the hospital visit.
“After the general audience, Pope Francis went to the Gemelli Isola Tiberina Hospital for some diagnostic tests. At the end he returned to the Vatican,” the brief statement from the Holy See Press Office said.
The Vatican has yet to release details as to the results of the hospital’s diagnostic tests.
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Vatican City, Sep 24, 2023 / 07:30 am (CNA).
Pope Francis said Sunday that regardless of one’s stage of life, it is never too late to receive God’s love.
Speaking in his Angelus address on Sept. 24, the pope said that God is seeking us out at every hour of the day and that his “big-hearted” love for us is not based on our merits.
“This is how God is: He does not wait for our efforts to come to us,” Francis said. “He does not give up if we are late in responding to Him. On the contrary, He Himself has taken the initiative and through Jesus came to us to show us His love.”
“And He seeks us at all hours of the day, which, as Saint Gregory the Great states, represent the different stages and seasons of our life up to old age (cf. Homilies on the Gospel, 19).”
“For His heart, it is never too late; He is always looking for us and waiting for us.”
The pope spoke from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square one day after he gave a strong condemnation of euthanasia on his return flight from Marseille in southern France, saying there is such a thing as “bad compassion.”
Pope Francis spent two days in the French city, where he spoke at a meeting of young people and bishops called Mediterranean Encounter with a message that the deepening migrant crisis unfolding in the Mediterranean is “a reality of our times” that calls for wisdom and a collaborative response from European nations.
“Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate World Migrant and Refugee Day, under the theme ‘free to choose whether to migrate or to stay,” as a reminder that migrating should be a free choice and never the only one possible,” he said on Sunday.
Reflecting on his trip to France, Pope Francis said that the challenge of creating communities that can welcome and integrate migrants was “at the heart” of the Mediterranean Encounter event.
“It is necessary that every man and every woman be guaranteed the opportunity to live a dignified life, in the society in which they find themselves. Unfortunately, misery, wars, and climate crisis force so many people to flee,” he said.
“Therefore, we are all called to create communities ready and open to welcome, promote, accompany, and integrate those who knock on our doors.”
Pope Francis also offered thanks to the Italian bishops’ conference for their efforts to assist migrants in Italy.
In his Angelus message, Pope Francis reflected on Jesus’ parable in the Gospel of Matthew about a landowner who gives all of his laborers the full daily wage, even those who were employed late in the day and worked only one hour.
The pope noted that the “ultimate meaning of the parable” is that of “God’s superior justice.”
“Human justice says to ‘give to each his own according to what he deserves,’ while God’s justice does not measure love on the scales of our returns, our performance, or our failures: God just loves us, He loves us because we are his children, and He does so with an unconditional and gratuitous love,” Pope Francis said.
“Brothers and sisters, sometimes we risk having a ‘mercantile’ relationship with God, focusing more on our own skill than on the generosity of his grace,” he said. “Sometimes even in the Church, instead of going out at all hours of the day and extending our arms to all, we can feel like the first in our class, judging others far away, without thinking that God loves them too with the same love He has for us.”
After praying the Angelus prayer in Latin with the crowd, Pope Francis extended an invitation to all to attend an ecumenical prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, Sept. 30 to pray for the upcoming Synod on Synodality assembly.
“May Our Lady help us to convert to God’s measure: that of a love without measure,” he said.
The Pope is 87 and is in generally good health, but seems to be susceptible to respiratory infections. The question is, at what point might he resign? Will he wait until he turns 90? Or will some more serious illness force the issue?
It used to be that Popes just died in office. Often, their final months were marked with such decline that not much got done. Pope Benedict changed that scenario and Pooe Francis may follow suite with a resignation at some point.
The next Papal election conclave will be quite interesting. Will the next Pope be one of Pope Francis’ lieutenants or someone who is a surprise? Perhaps even an African? We shall see.
The Pope is 87 and is in generally good health, but seems to be susceptible to respiratory infections. The question is, at what point might he resign? Will he wait until he turns 90? Or will some more serious illness force the issue?
It used to be that Popes just died in office. Often, their final months were marked with such decline that not much got done. Pope Benedict changed that scenario and Pooe Francis may follow suite with a resignation at some point.
The next Papal election conclave will be quite interesting. Will the next Pope be one of Pope Francis’ lieutenants or someone who is a surprise? Perhaps even an African? We shall see.