Pope Francis spent his first night in the papal apartment on the tenth floor of the Gemelli Polyclinic where he has been hospitalized since yesterday for what was initially referred to as “exams already scheduled” but which soon revealed a slightly more serious than expected. The Pontiff, the Vatican announced, “rested well during the night”, the clinical picture “is progressively improving and the planned treatments are continuing”.
Read also: Pope Francis, “heart attack”. The real reason for the hospitalization: the Dagospia bomb
Bergoglio is hospitalized for an unspecified “respiratory infection”. Already in recent days the Holy Father had complained of some difficulties. Something changed after the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square when, in his residence in Santa Marta, there was a deterioration. Thoracic CT and the swab have however ruled out more serious problems, from pneumonia to covid. The parameters are currently stable.
Read also: The Gemelli medical bulletin on Pope Francis: infectious bronchitis
This morning, after having breakfast, the Pope read some newspapers and even went back to work. “I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude to everyone for their closeness and prayers”, he tweeted during the day. The alarm therefore seems to have subsided, with the Holy Father continuing his therapies. To worry are the commitments of the next few days. The arrival of Christian Easter, which this year we will celebrate on Sunday 9 April, is anticipated by ‘holy week’, with some essential rites presided over by the Pope. Given the situation, the Vatican is deciding who will preside over the most some of which are important – from the washing of the feet, which Bergoglio celebrated last year in the prison of Civitavecchia, to the Via Crucis at the Colosseum – are also demanding from a physical point of view. Last year, for example, with his knee hurting, Bergoglio despite him had to leave the celebration to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, limiting himself to being present.
Read also: “Pope Francis tired and tried”. The alarming episode with the nuns
Once again this year Cardinal Re will take over from the Pope. “As dean, I will celebrate mass on the morning of Easter day”, the cardinal assures LaPresse, explaining that given the current situation, with the Pope hospitalized in Gemelli for a respiratory infection, “we have certainly established the Palms, Holy Thursday morning and afternoon and Sunday me”, he reiterates, explaining that he has “distributed the various celebrations” of Easter.
Read also: Pope Francis, Father Georg spills the beans: “Many cardinals think so”
“The Vice Dean, Cardinal Sandri, will celebrate Palm Day. On Holy Thursday, in the morning, there will be the Vicar of Rome, that is, Cardinal De Donatis, while the Archpriest of St. Peter’s, Cardinal Gambetti, will be at Mass in Coena Domini. “. For Good Friday and the Via Crucis “we will see, some things have not yet been determined. One of the cardinals will be there on Holy Night but it has yet to be determined”. The hope is that “the Pope will be present to celebrate” the Easter rites but in any case “we have distributed” the various celebrations, continues Re, sure that Bergoglio “will be present because the Pope is recovering well.