Pope Francis, weak and breathtaking, thanked people for prayers for his recovery in the astounding audio message aired Thursday, a sign of his first life from the 88-year-old Pope, since being hospitalized with double pneumonia three weeks ago.
Francis’ weak voice, identifiable in his hard-working breath and his native Spanish, was recorded on Thursday and broadcast faithfully to St. Peter’s Square, where he gathered for the evening reading of the Rosary prayer.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your prayers for health from the square. “May God bless you, and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.”
Cardinals who presided over the prayers, Ancer Fernandez’s cardinal told the crowd that they would share “beautiful news, beautiful gifts” at the start of the service. Fernandez’s art was on his side, bowing his head as he listened.
To those who heard Francis’ voice, it often sounds very soft and whispered, but the audio was an emotional punch to the gut.
Cardinals University will elect a new Pope at a conference known as the Pope Conclave.
The 88-year-old Pope suffers from chronic lung disease and as a young man, he removed a portion of one of his lungs.
The Vatican updated Francis’ medical condition twice a day, but has not distributed any photos or videos of him since the morning of February 14th.
The infection progressed to a complex respiratory infection and dual pneumonia that sidelined Francis for the longest time in the Pope for 12 years, raising questions about his Pope’s future.
Doctors on Thursday reported that Francis was in a stable state and that he had no new respiratory crisis or fever. He continued his respiratory and other physical therapy on Thursday, working, resting and praying from the Pope Suite on the 10th floor of Gemeri Hospital in Rome.
Given the continued stability of Francis’ condition, doctors said they do not expect to provide new medical updates until Saturday. His prognosis remains protected, meaning he is not out of danger.
The Pope slept in a non-invasive mechanical mask to ensure that his lungs would expand properly overnight and help him recover. He is transitioning to using his nasal tube to receive high flow oxygen during the day. According to Vatican officials, his routine now includes physical therapy along with treatment of dual pneumonia and respiratory therapy.
Pope Francis has been stable for three days since suffering a pair of breathing crisis on Monday.
The Pope was to attend a spiritual retreat this weekend with the rest of the sacred hierarchy. On Tuesday, the Vatican said the retreat would proceed with a “spiritual communion” with him without Francis. The theme that Francis was chosen before he got sick was “Hope for eternal life.”
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