It's been a rocky couple of weeks for the Catholic church. Pope Francis has been locked away in the Vatican hospital, suffering from lung problems, but according to their report, his health is improving.
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Despite having two respiratory crises, Pope Francis is apparently in stable condition. However, he was put on a ventilator once again after his return to his armchair on Wednesday.
Despite his ailing health, the pope was able to perform his duties for Ash Wednesday. This marks the beginning of Lent for Catholics. Pope Francis partook in the eucherist. He also received a blessing to mark the beginning of the catholic event.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Pope Francis addressed his ongoing health: "The Holy Father remained stable today as well, without any episodes of respiratory insufficiency. As planned, he utilized supplemental, high-flow oxygenation, and non-invasive mechanical ventilation will be resumed tonight."
Despite being on the mend, he is still in need of assisted breathing. However, it appears he is still able to get out and about. The bout of double pneumonia is not going away in a hurry, but that's to be expected of someone his age.
"This morning, the Holy Father participated in the rite of the blessing of the Sacred Ashes, which were imposed on him by the celebrant. He then received the Eucharist," the spokesperson said. "Afterwards, he engaged in several work activities. During the morning, he also called Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza."
Pope Planned For Poor Health
Around 12 years ago, Pope Francis wrote a letter that was only to be opened if he was unable to perform his duties due to ill health. He wrote it to his second-in-command, who was Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone at the time. It contains a plan for what would happen if his resignation had to take place.
Since then, the letter has passed on to the new second-in-command. The pope recently joked about his health, saying, "Now someone will run up to Bertone [and say] Give me that piece of paper." Even amid his struggles with his health, he is still making jokes.
