Pope welcomes Gemelli hospital staff to Vatican

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Source: Vatican Media

On Wednesday morning, Pope Francis received some of the physicians and staff from the Gemelli Hospital who treated him for pneumonia last month, thanking them for their hard work.

A brief statement from the Holy See Press Office, said the Holy Father met the group of about 70 people from the A Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation, the Sacro Cuore Catholic University, and the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, in rooms behind the Paul VI Hall, for about 20 minutes

After a few words of greeting from Daniele Franco, President of the Board of Directors of the Gemelli Foundation, along with Easter wishes and hopes for the Pope's continued recovery, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude to all, assuring them of his prayers and asking them to pray for him in return.

"Thank you for the service at the hospital, very good, keep it up!" he concluded.

Pope Francis then personally greeted and thanked each person present, starting with Dr Elena Beccalli, the rector of the University.

Since the Pope's release from the hospital, his breathing, mobility and voice are all gradually improving.

The Holy Father is continuing to receive medication and physiotherapy. He is now able to go for long periods of time without oxygen administration, and generally only needs to use high-flow oxygen with nasal cannulas in the evenings.

The Press Office also reported that Pope Francis is continuing to work and receive visits.

For the first major liturgy of Holy Week, Pope Francis chose Cardinal Leonardo Sandri as his delegate to preside at the Mass for Palm Sunday, but the Holy Father still decided to make a surprise visit to the faithful at its conclusion.

On that occasion, Pope Francis wished a "Happy Palm Sunday and Happy Holy Week" to all those gathered for the Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion celebration in Saint Peter's Square. The Holy Father entered the Square from the Basilica, where he spent around ten minutes. Immediately after the final blessing, he offered his good wishes and then was briefly wheeled up to the faithful for further greetings.

The Sunday prior, at the end of Mass for the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers, the Pope had also surprised those present when he made his first public appearance in the Vatican since leaving the hospital. At that event, he appeared briefly on the stage, greeting and blessing the crowd, telling pilgrims, "Have a good Sunday, and thank you very much."

Later that week, he made a surprise outing to spend some time in St Peter's Basilica, and held a private audience at the Casa Santa Marta with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla, expressing his best wishes for their wedding anniversary, and ventured to Rome's Marian Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray.

Today, Holy Thursday, Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, President Emeritus of APSA, presided over the Chrism Mass in the morning.

On Good Friday, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, will preside over the Passion Liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica. Later that evening, Cardinal Baldo Reina, the Pope's Vicar General of Rome, will preside over the Via Crucis at the Colosseum. The Pope himself has written the meditations for that Via Crucis, which the Press Office will publish at noon on Friday.

On Holy Saturday evening, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the Easter Vigil.

On Easter Sunday, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Vicar General emeritus of His Holiness for Vatican City State and President emeritus of the Fabric of Saint Peter's, will preside over the Easter Sunday Mass.

Watch the visit here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=abIqvIi22d4