CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for more than two weeks battling intense illness, shared March 2 that he has found powerful opportunities in the experience.
“I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord; at the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people,” he said in the text he had prepared for that Sunday’s Angelus address.
Usually, the Pope gives the weekly address from the papal window to those in St. Peter’s Square, according to the Angelus Prayer website. This past Sunday’s address was sent from Gemelli Hospital, where Pope Francis was admitted Feb. 14 for treatment for bilateral pneumonia and other respiratory challenges.
In his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis had also reflected on the Sunday Gospel, Luke 6:39-45, in which Jesus speaks about fraternal correction and how a tree is known by its fruit. Fraternal correction, Pope Francis said, is only virtuous when it comes from a place of care, not condemnation.
He also said that fruits of man include his words, which, if violent or false or vulgar, produce “rotten fruits,” and if they are honest and just, produce good fruit. The pontiff encouraged the faithful to reflect on how they perceive others, posing the question, “Do my words have a good flavour, or are they imbued with bitterness and vanity?”
Then, noting that his reflection was being sent from the hospital, Pope Francis expressed gratitude for the efforts of the physicians who have worked to care for him, and for those around the world who have been offering extensive spiritual support.
“I would like to thank you for the prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world,” Pope Francis said. “I feel all your affection and closeness and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am ‘carried’ and supported by all God’s people. Thank you all!”
“I pray for you too,” he concluded. “And I pray above all for peace. From here, war appears even more absurd. Let us pray for tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and Kivu. Let us entrust ourselves confidently to Mary, our Mother.”
CatholicVote reported earlier today that Pope Francis experienced two episodes of respiratory failure March 3. Read more here.