Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File

Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. - Pope Francis is leading holy mass at the Sir Guise Stadium during his four day visit to Papua New Guinea from September 6-9. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

Pope Francis

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1739710361631AFP__20240907__36FT6B8__v3__Preview__TopshotPngVaticanPopeReligion.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. <em>Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>VATICAN CITY, Holy See -- Pope Francis sat out mass and his traditional Angelus prayer from hospital on Sunday, with a Vatican health official saying the 88-year-old pontiff needed to preserve his strength for the Church&#x27;s busy Jubilee year.</p><p>Francis was admitted Friday to Rome&#x27;s Gemelli hospital with bronchitis, one of several bouts of flu or bronchitis he has caught in recent winters.</p><p>The Vatican said Saturday that doctors prescribed &quot;absolute rest&quot;, although they said tests had indicated some improvements in his condition.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/2/14/pope-francis-hospitalized-with-bronchitis-vatican-1833">READ: Pope Francis hospitalized with bronchitis -- Vatican</a></div><p>Unable to attend Sunday mass at St Peter&#x27;s Basilica, the pope sent a written address to a group of artists and other cultural figures in attendance.</p><p>&quot;I would have liked to be among you but, as you know, I am here at the Gemelli Hospital because I still need some treatment for my bronchitis,&quot; Francis wrote.</p><p>During the mass -- which is usually presided over by the pope -- Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonca read Francis&#x27;s homily.</p><p>&quot;We live in a time when new walls are being erected, when differences become a pretext for division rather than an opportunity for mutual enrichment,&quot; the cardinal read. &quot;But you, men and women of the world of culture, are called to build bridges.&quot;</p><div><strong>- Busy Jubilee year -</strong></div><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABUZ7xLauK0UE0II&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script></div><p>The head of the health office for the Italian Bishops&#x27; Conference, Massimo Angelelli, told AFPTV it was &quot;absolutely necessary for him to recover his strength&quot; as &quot;the Jubilee is still long.&quot;</p><p>The Catholic Church has designated 2025 a &quot;Jubilee Year&quot; that is expected to draw more than 30 million visitors to Rome.</p><p>Occurring every 25 years, the Jubilee is intended as a period of reflection and penance, and marked by a long list of cultural and religious events -- many of them presided over by the pope.</p><p>Despite his health issues -- which include knee pain and his reliance on a wheelchair -- the pope keeps a very busy schedule and has said he has no current plans to slow down.</p><p>But in the days ahead of his hospitalization, Francis -- who had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man -- several times asked aides to read his public speeches aloud on his behalf.</p><p>On Saturday, the Vatican said in a statement that tests had confirmed the pope was suffering from a &quot;respiratory tract infection&quot; but was not exhibiting signs of fever, and showed &quot;improvement in some values&quot;.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Francis was admitted Friday to Rome's Gemelli hospital with bronchitis, one of several bouts of flu or bronchitis he has caught in recent winters.</p>

Francis was admitted Friday to Rome's Gemelli hospital with bronchitis, one of several bouts of flu or bronchitis he has caught in recent winters.

In hospital, a resting Pope Francis sits out Sunday mass | ABS-CBN

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In hospital, a resting Pope Francis sits out Sunday mass

In hospital, a resting Pope Francis sits out Sunday mass

Agence France-Presse

Published Feb 16, 2025 09:25 PM PHT

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