ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has written and spoken at length about sickness, aging and death, and personally directed that his doctors provide the fairly detailed daily updates that have punctuated his own battle with pneumonia.
As Pope Francis has battled double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14, the Vatican has been trying something new. The Holy See press office has been giving daily updates on his condition.
A group of faithful gathered under the statue of John Paul II at Gemelli hospital on Sunday afternoon to pray for Pope Francis’ health.
As reports of the Pope’s health fluctuate daily I am reminded of the feverish media condition once diagnosed by Vatican-watcher John Allen as “papal health
According to the Vatican, there have been 266 popes in the Catholic Church starting with St. Peter and going all the way up to the current pontiff, Pope Francis
Just as Popes John Paul II’s and Benedict’s final days revealed their understandings of the papacy, Francis’ illness has revealed him once again as the world’s parish priest, suffering close to his people.