Synopsis
Pope Francis celebrates 12 years since his election amidst positive updates on his health as he continues treatment for pneumonia in the hospital.Key Takeaways
- Pope Francis marks 12 years as Pope.
- His health is improving after pneumonia treatment.
- The anniversary is a public holiday in the Vatican.
- No discharge date has been announced yet.
- Remote participation in spiritual retreat noted.
Vatican City, March 13 (NationPress) Thursday marks the 12th anniversary of Pope Francis’ election as the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, with encouraging news about his health. The 88-year-old Pope, esteemed by the 2.4 billion Christians globally, will celebrate this milestone from Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he has been receiving treatment for double pneumonia for nearly a month.
The Holy See has not disclosed how this anniversary, a public holiday in the Vatican, will be celebrated.
Fortunately, a recent bulletin from the Vatican announced that the Holy Father’s health is improving, stating he is no longer in immediate danger. The report came just before the Pope’s anniversary.
On Wednesday, Pope Francis’ recovery from double pneumonia continued, with a chest X-ray showing progress. Just two days earlier, doctors confirmed he was not in imminent danger of death.
However, there is still no information on when he will be discharged from the hospital. While the medical bulletin indicated his condition is stable, it painted a complex picture of his overall fragile health.
Reports indicate that on Wednesday, Pope Francis participated in his spiritual retreat remotely and resumed physical and respiratory therapy after a restful night at the hospital.
On Friday, the Pope will complete four weeks of hospitalization, requiring high flows of oxygen through nasal tubes during the day and a non-invasive mechanical mask to assist his nighttime rest.
His scheduled weekly Wednesday general audience was canceled, as Vatican hierarchy is currently on retreat as part of the Lenten spiritual exercises, a hallmark of the Jesuit pope’s pontificate.
