Pope Francis’ Angelus message from hospital: ’Facing period of trial’, ‘body weak but…’

Pope Francis, slowly recovering from ‘double pneumonia’ has issued a message for his followers. On Sunday, Pope Francis said he was fragile and "facing a period of trial". Pope Francis further added ‘bodies are weak’, and thanked well-wishers for prayers in a message from Rome's Gemelli hospital.

“I am sharing these thoughts with you while I am facing a period of trial, and I join with so many brothers and sisters who are sick: fragile, at this time, like me. Our bodies are weak but, even like this, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being for each other, in faith, shining signs of hope,” Pope Francis wrote in an Angelus message published by the Vatican.

Pope Francis continues his recovery from double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli hospital with the Vatican expected to issue the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer as a written text for the fifth straight week.

The pope typically delivers the Angelus from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square to the gathered faithful, who have grown more numerous due to the Jubilee year that Francis inaugurated in December.

Along with a stop at St. Peter's to seek indulgences by walking through the basilica's Holy Door, pilgrims are now also adding a stop at Gemelli, a 15-minute train ride from the Vatican.

Pope Francis Health Update

Doctors this week said 88-year-old pontiff Pope Francis was no longer in critical, life-threatening condition, but have continued to emphasize that his condition remained complex due to his age, lack of mobility and the loss of part of a lung as a young man.

Pope Francis has not been seen publicly since he was admitted to the hospital February 14 after a bout of bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak. Doctors soon added a diagnosis of double pneumonia and a polymicrobial (bacterial, viral and fungal) infection.

The first three weeks of Pope Francis' hospitalisation were marked by a rollercoaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit.

Doctors at Rome's Gemelli hospital, in the most recent medical update on Saturday said they were working to reduce the Pope's nighttime reliance on the non-invasive ventilation mask, which will allow his lungs to work more.

Doctors underlined that while the pope's condition is stable, he still requires hospitalisation for both physical and respiratory therapy, which are "showing further gradual improvements”, the Vatican said Saturday in the first medical update in three days.