Children bearing yellow and white balloons have gathered outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital, offering a poignant greeting to Pope Francis during his fifth Sunday of hospitalisation for double pneumonia.
While the 88-year-old pontiff did not appear at his 10th-floor window, he acknowledged the young well-wishers in his prepared Angelus prayer.
“I know that many children are praying for me; some of them came here today to Gemelli as a sign of closeness,” the Pope shared in the text, which was not delivered live.
He added a warm message: “Thank you, dearest children! The pope loves you and is always waiting to meet you.”
The gathering, organised by the Reverend Fortunato, president of the pontifical committee for World Children’s Day, was described as a form of “spiritual medicine” for the ailing Pope.
Fortunato called the children’s presence “the most beautiful caress”, adding, “The children represent a symbolic medicine for Pope Francis. Letting him know that so many children are here for him cheers the heart.”
The group included 20 children accompanied by the St. Egidio charity and 50 more with Unicef.
The Pope traditionally delivers the Angelus prayer from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, where crowds have swelled due to the Jubilee year he inaugurated in December.
In the written text, Francis said he was thinking of others, who like him, are in a fragile state.
“Our bodies are weak, but even like this, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being for each other, in faith, shining signs of hope,” he said.
Pope no longer in critical condition
Along with a stop at St. Peter’s to seek indulgences by walking through the basilica’s Holy Door, pilgrims are now also adding a stop at Gemelli, a 15-minute train ride from the Vatican.
Doctors this week said the pontiff was no longer in critical, life-threatening condition, but they have continued to emphasise that his condition remained complex due to his age, lack of mobility and the loss of part of a lung as a young man.
Still, they are issuing fewer medical bulletins as the pontiff has been on an upward trajectory. An X-ray this week confirmed that the infection was clearing.
Francis has not been seen publicly since he was admitted to the hospital on February 14 after a bout of bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak. Doctors soon added a diagnosis of double pneumonia and a polymicrobial (bacterial, viral and fungal) infection.
The first three weeks of his hospitalisation were marked by a rollercoaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit.
Doctors in the most recent medical update on Saturday said they were working to reduce the pope’s nighttime reliance on the non-invasive ventilation mask, which will allow his lungs to work more.
The next update will not be issued until the middle of next week, the Vatican said.
