CBCP urges Filipinos to pray for Pope Francis

MANILA — The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on Tuesday urged Filipinos to pray for Pope Francis who was discharged from the hospital last week following a bout of bronchitis.

The 86-year-old pontiff's hospitalization sparked questions over his future as head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

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"As we see it, Pope Francis is very much committed to continuing his papacy," Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of CBCP's Public Affairs Committee, told ANC's "Rundown".

"So, I guess the people should just pray for him that he may be able to continue serving the Church, serving the people and lead the Catholic Church."

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The pope, who admitted last summer that he had to slow down, uses a wheelchair and walking stick for knee pain, and said in January that the problems with his intestine have returned.

The pope led the Palm Sunday rites in the Vatican.

Palm Sunday marks the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Easter Sunday, which this year is on April 9, celebrates his resurrection from the dead.

In 2013, Francis' predecessor Benedict XVI became the first pope since the Middle Ages to resign, citing his declining physical and mental health.

Pope Francis previously said he would quit if he no longer felt able to do his job—although he insisted in February it was not on his agenda.

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— With a report from Agence France-Presse