The Vatican announced on Saturday that Pope Francis will not attend the service in Saint Peter’s Basilica on 6 April for the Jubilee of the Sick and the World of Health as he continues to recover from bilateral pneumonia.
In his absence, Salvatore Fisichella, the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, will preside over the service.
The 88-year-old pontiff returned to the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican on Sunday after spending 38 days at Rome’s Gemelli hospital due to his illness.
On Friday, the Vatican reported “slight improvements” in the pope’s respiratory and motor functions, as well as his speech. Vatican Press Office Director Matteo Bruni stated that Pope Francis’s health remains stable and that he is gradually reducing his use of high-flow oxygen through nasal cannulas during the day, with a slight reduction at night.
Blood tests conducted on Wednesday showed normal hematological parameters, Bruni added. The pope continues to alternate between therapy, prayer, rest, and some work. All Dicasteries of the Roman Curia are keeping him updated by sending documents for his review.
Deep sorrow over tragedy in Myanmar and Thailand
Meanwhile, on Friday, Pope Francis expressed his deep sorrow over the lives lost and the widespread devastation caused by a powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand. In a telegram delivered on his behalf by Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to civil and religious authorities in both countries, the pontiff conveyed his prayers for the victims and his spiritual closeness to those affected by the tragedy.
The telegram also stated that Pope Francis “prays for emergency personnel, that they may be supported in their care for the wounded and the displaced.”
