ROME (AP) — Pope Francis marked the start of Lent by increasing his physical therapy on Wednesday, receiving ashes on his forehead and calling a parish priest in Gaza, the Vatican said.
The Holy Father suffered from a respiratory crisis during the day and received oxygen through the nasal duct, as he has recently. He resumes using non-invasive machine masks for the night.
The doctor treating the pope with double pneumonia emphasized that his prognosis remains protected due to the complicated paintings. The 88-year-old Pope suffers from chronic lung disease and had removed a portion of one of his lungs as a young man, but on Monday he faced two respiratory crises as a retreat.
In the morning he attended the Ash Wednesday celebration and received Ashes and Holy Communion. He later began working. It included a call to the Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, an Argentine priest and a parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza. It was the third time they spoke since the Pope was hospitalized on February 14th.
The evening health bulletin reported the first mention of the pope’s physical therapy, in addition to respiratory therapy, saying the Vatican would not secure any other negative effects from his longest hospitalization.
Vatican opens loans
The Catholic Church held a strict rental season leading to Easter on Wednesday without the participation of Pope Francis, who is in the third week of hospital treatment for dual pneumonia.
In place of the Pope, the Cardinal led a short procession of repentance between the two churches of Aventinhill, opening a Wednesday of Ash prepared for the Pope, with words of solidarity and thanks to Francis.
“At this moment we feel deeply united with him,” Cardinal Angelo de Donatis said. “And we thank him for his prayers and for his suffering for the good of the whole church around the world.”
Ash Wednesday
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends up on April 20th to Easter. Cardinals were designated to take the place of Francis at the Vatican celebration.
On Ash Wednesday, the Catholic observers receive signs of a cross on their foreheads. This is a gesture that emphasizes human mortality. It is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics, marking the beginning of Christianity’s most repentant season.
“The state of vulnerability reminds us of the tragedy of death,” Donatis said in his Homily. “In many ways, we try to expel death from our society. But death imposes as a sign of the reality we must consider: the instability and brevity of our lives. ”
The Pope was to attend a spiritual retreat this weekend with the rest of the sacred hierarchy. On Tuesday, the Vatican said the retreat would proceed with a “spiritual communion” with him without Francis. The theme that Francis was chosen before he got sick was “Hope for eternal life.”
Prayer of support
Visited from Colombia, Eurice Assis said he prayed for the Pope. “Because he is in serious condition at present. All Catholic communities around the world are praying for him.”
Italy’s Emmanuel di Martino said that the Pope was the biggest in his mind, as he had experienced a pilgrimage to the Vatican.
“I hope that the Pope’s health issues can be resolved, unfortunately, but if possible, he will be well,” Di Martino said.
