Pope Francis hit the three-week mark Friday in his hospitalization for double pneumonia, after giving the world a tangible indication of just how frail he is.
The Vatican said the 88-year-old pope had a good night’s rest and woke up Friday morning just after 8 a.m. Doctors said they didn't expect to give another medical update until Saturday, given his continued stability and absence of respiratory crises or other setbacks for several days now.
But Francis offered a first public sign of just how weak he is on Thursday by recording an audio message that was broadcast to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square who had gathered for the nightly recitation of the rosary prayer.
In it, Francis thanked the people for their prayers. But his voice was barely discernible through his labored breaths and he spoke in his native Spanish, perhaps because it came more easily to him than Italian.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, I accompany you from here,” he said to the hushed square. “May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.”
The message served many purposes. It was the first public sign of life from the pope since he entered Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, and put to rest right-wing conspiracy theories and rumors calling into question his true medical status.
But the audio also underscored just how weak Francis is. For anyone used to hearing his voice, which is often so soft it sounds like a whisper, the audio was an emotional punch to the gut that hammered home just how hard it is for him to even breathe.
The cardinal presiding over the prayer, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, had told the crowd at the start of the service that he had “beautiful news, a beautiful gift” to share.
“Oh che bello,” marveled one nun in the crowd. “Oh how beautiful.”
The clearly surprised crowd broke into applause and then applauded again after Francis’ final “Gracias.” Fernández Artime, for his part, bowed his head as he listened.
The 88-year-old pope has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.
The Vatican has given twice-daily updates on Francis’ condition, but has distributed no photos or video of him since the morning of Feb. 14, when he held a handful of audiences at the Vatican before being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for what was then just a bad case of bronchitis.
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