Ill Pope Francis holds prayer from his residence
Pope Francis held the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday in the chapel of his residence in the Vatican due to a respiratory illness. "Today I cannot stand at the window because I have this problem of inflammation in my lungs," said the head of the Catholic Church in a hoarse voice. He did not appear for the prayer at the window of the Apostolic Palace as usual, but in a live broadcast from his residence. He also had the prayer read out by a priest.
The 86-year-old Argentinian appeared exhausted and coughed occasionally during the prayer. He sat next to the priest in the chapel of the Vatican guest house Santa Marta, where Francis also lives. However, he gave the blessing at the end of the prayer himself. He also confirmed his trip to Dubai next weekend for the climate conference (COP28) according to the text read out.
On Saturday, the Holy See surprisingly announced that the pontiff had had to cancel all appointments due to illness. The reason given was a "mild flu". It was later announced that Francis had undergone a computer tomography (CT) scan in a clinic in Rome to rule out complications. The Pope was able to return to the Vatican.
For some time now, Francis' health has clearly been a problem. He has already been treated in hospital twice this year. First for pneumonia; later he had to undergo open abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. When asked about his state of health, he often emphasized: "I'm still alive!"
Despite his respiratory illness, Pope Francis still adhered to religious customs by holding the Angelus prayer within his residence's chapel, as opposed to his typical location at the Apostolic Palace. Due to his health issues, the Pope opted for a live broadcast of the prayer rather than appearing at the window as usual.
Source: www.dpa.com
