The Vatican is expected to publish the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer in written format for the fifth time in a row as Pope Francis continues his treatment for double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.
The pope typically recites the Angelus from a window overlooking St Peter's Square to a gathering of the faithful, whose numbers have swelled in the wake of the jubilee year that Francis opened in December.
In addition to stopping at St. Peter's Basilica, where pilgrims can receive an indulgence by passing through the basilica's Holy Doors, they now also stop in Gemelli, a 15-minute train ride from the Vatican.
Doctors said this week that the 88-year-old pontiff was no longer in critical, life-threatening condition, but their attention to his condition remains high because of his age, limited mobility and the loss of part of a lung when he was young.
They have been issuing fewer medical reports as the pontiff's condition improves. This week's X-ray confirmed that the infection is receding.
Francis has not appeared in public since he was hospitalized on February 14 with bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak. Doctors later diagnosed him with double pneumonia and a polymicrobial infection.
His first three weeks in hospital were marked by a number of complications, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit.
In the latest medical update released on Saturday, doctors said they were working to reduce the pope's need to use a non-invasive ventilation mask at night, which would allow his lungs to function more efficiently.
Doctors noted that while the pope's condition is stable, he still needs to remain in hospital for both physical and respiratory therapy, which “are showing further gradual improvement,” the Vatican said Saturday in its first medical report in three days.
The Vatican added that the next update would not be published until mid-next week.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
