Pope Francis, who is recovering from a pneumonia attack that endangered his life, urged Catholics on Sunday to mark Lent as a “Healing time” After missing his seventh consecutive prayer of Angelus.
The Holy Father, at 88, left the Gemelli hospital in Rome last Sunday After five weeks of treatment and returned to the Vatican for what his doctors said they will be at least two months of convalescence. Francisco was again absent from the Angelus of this weekend, normally pronounced at noon on Sunday from a window of the Apostolic Palace that gives the Plaza de San Pedro.
The Vatican published the text, as it has been doing from its hospitalization on February 14. “Dear friends, let’s live this Lent as a healing time,” Francisco wrote, Refforting the 40 days before Easterthe most sacred period of the Christian calendar. This year, Easter Sunday falls on April 20.
“I also experience it like that, in my soul and in my body.” Added: «Fragility and disease They are experiences that we all have in common; but with greater reason we are brothers in the salvation that Christ has given us ».
Francisco continues to improve
The Vatican said Friday that the Pope was showing «slight improvements » And that his voice, tense and weak after his double pneumonia, was stronger. Doctors said Francisco was close to losing his life twice during his hospitalization, the longest and longest of his 12 years as head of the Catholic Church.
Millions of Catholics visit Rome and the Vatican for the 2025 papal jubilee, a year of religious celebrations, and crowds met Sunday in the Plaza de San Pedro despite the absence of the Pope.
The Pope offered his prayers on Sunday for the conflicts that affect Ukraine, Israel and the Palestinian territories, and also by Myanmar affected by the earthquake. Francisco said that the situation in South Sudan was “concerned”, where in recent weeks the confrontation between the rival factions that fought with each other in the Civil War of 2013-2018 has intensified.
“I renew my sincere call to all leaders to do everything possible to reduce tension in the country,” he said, urging everyone to put aside their differences and establish a “constructive dialogue.”
Francisco also urged new negotiations to be initiated as soon as possible in Sudan, devastated by war, and urged the international community to intensify efforts to address “the terrible humanitarian catastrophe.”
The leader of the 1,400 million Catholics in the world stressed that “thank God, there are also positive events.” Described a recent one Border agreement between Kyrgyzistan and Tayikistanconsidered key to the stability of Central Asia, as an “excellent diplomatic achievement.”
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