Vatican releases image of Pope concelebrating Mass in hospital

By CathNews New Zealand

March 18th, 2025

Pope Francis in the chapel at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday (CNS/Vatican Press Office)

The Vatican has released a photo of Pope Francis concelebrating Mass in the chapel of his suite of rooms at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Source: CNS.

The photo, sent out by the Vatican press office on March 16, was the first image of the Pope released since he was hospitalised in mid-February. The Mass also was the first the Vatican described as having been concelebrated by the 88-year-old Pope in the hospital.

He has been receiving the Eucharist daily, and on the previous Sundays was described as having “participated” in the liturgy.

The Vatican press office had previously released a 27-second audio message from Pope Francis on March 6 thanking people for their prayers. The Pope had obvious difficulty breathing and speaking.

Pope Francis has been hospitalised since February 14, and continues to be treated for double pneumonia and multiple infections. His doctors have said his condition continues to improve gradually, so they do not expect to publish another medical bulletin until March 18 or 19.

For the fifth Sunday in a row, Pope Francis did not come to his window for the recitation of the Angelus prayer.

More than a hundred children gathered on March 16 in the square in front of the Gemelli Hospital to pray the Angelus. Pope Francis thanked the children in the message the Vatican press office published at noon that day.

The Pope’s Angelus message included a request that people “continue to pray for peace, especially in the countries wounded by war: tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo”.

Pope Francis also used the message to affirm his decision, announced the previous day, to launch a three-year programme to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the Synod of Bishops on synodality.

Saying that he was writing while “facing a period of trial”, the Pope said that he joins “with so many brothers and sisters who are sick: fragile, at this time, like me”.

“Our bodies are weak,” he wrote, “but even like this, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being for each other, in faith, shining signs of hope.”

The Pope added that the light of God’s love shines in the hospital through the care of doctors, nurses, orderlies and the entire staff.

FULL STORY

Vatican releases first photo of Pope Francis since his hospitalization – OSV News (By Cindy Wooden/CNS)