Pope Francis shares the message after a quiet night in the hospital: “Thank you for your intimacy”

Pope Francis, who suffers from a complex lung infection, thanks for the “many emotional messages” he has received since he was hospitalized earlier this month.

In the official account on X shared on Sunday: “I was particularly shocked by the letters and drawings of the children.” “Thank you for your intimacy and the comfort prayers I have received from all over the world!”

The 88-year-old's message comes hours after the Vatican provided a brief update on the status of the pope.

A frontline statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni did not mention earlier Sunday whether Frances was out of bed or had breakfast. “The night passed quietly and the Pope was resting,” Bruney said.

The brief update comes after doctors say a pope who removed his lungs when he was young was in critical condition after he suffered a prolonged breathing crisis in asthma.

Francis was hospitalized for a week while receiving treatment for pneumonia and a complicated lung infection. After a week of worsening bronchitis, he was admitted to the Jegilly Hospital in Rome on February 14.

The Vatican said in a later update that the Pope received a “high flow” of oxygen on Saturday to help him breathe, and blood transfusions after the test showed low platelet counts, which are needed for coagulation.

Saturday's statement also said the pope “continues to be alert and spend the day in the armchair, although more painful than yesterday.” The doctor said the prognosis was “reserved”.

“We feel Pope Francis approaching us”

Frances was supposed to celebrate Mass at St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday morning and appointed hundreds of deacons at the Vatican's year-long holy anniversary.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the organizer of the Holy Year, celebrated his mass and prepared Francis' special prayers to the homosexuals prepared by the pope.

Fisichella told hundreds of white-fighting deacons. “This forces us to make our prayers stronger, stronger, so that the Lord will help Him during the period of judgment and illness.

The Jubilee Year of the Deacon is a holy year dedicated to the Deacon, which will attract more than 6,000 pilgrims from about 100 countries to Rome.

Vatican hierarchy reduces resignation speculation

Meanwhile, the Vatican hierarchy continues to defend itself to reduce rumors and speculate that Francis may decide to resign. Canon law does not stipulate what to do if the pope is incapacitated. Francis said he wrote a resignation letter that would be cited if he was medically unable to make such a decision.

In an interview CBS News May 2024Francis said the idea of ​​resigning never happened to him.

“Maybe if my health doesn't develop further a day,” Francis said. “Maybe it's because my only weakness is on my knees and getting better and better. But I never thought about it.”

Francis, Accept the Pope At the age of 76 in 2013, his predecessor Benedict XVI became the first The Pope retires within about 600 yearsquote him Decline in health Before resigning. He died in 2022 at the age of 95.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin conducted a rare interview with Corriere Della Sera in response to speculation and rumors of possible resignation. After the Vatican released an unusual and formal denial of Italian media reports, the report said Parolin and the pope's chief canonists secretly visited Francis of the hospital. Such meetings have a lot of implications given the normative requirement to resign, but the Vatican frankly denies that any such meetings have occurred.

Parolin said that this speculation seemed “useless” when what really mattered was Francis’ health, his recovery and return to the Vatican.

“On the other hand, I think it's normal for uncontrolled rumors to spread or make some wrong comments in this case. Of course, this is definitely not the first time it has happened.” “However, I don’t think there is any special sport, and so far, I haven’t heard of anything like that.”