Pope Francis’ surprise visit to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray and see ongoing restoration work is a clear sign that his condition is improving, the Vatican press office said. The 88-year-old pope, pushed in a wheelchair by his nurse and using a nasal cannula to deliver supplemental oxygen, entered the basilica just before 1 p.m. April 10. Vatican News said he went to the basilica to pray at the tomb of St. Pius X.
Although they postponed their official state visit to the Vatican because of Pope Francis’ health, Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla met privately with the pope April 9, the Vatican press office said.
Patrick Charles Keely designed and built more than 600 churches and religious buildings in Canada and the U.S., including, up until the time of his death in 1896, all of the 19th-century cathedrals in New England and 14 Catholic churches in Brooklyn.
Famed 19th-century Irish-American church architect Patrick Keely built 19 major cathedrals in Canada and the U.S., including Newark, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Natchez, Mississippi, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, none of those elaborate Gothic-style landmarks are in Keely’s adopted city of Brooklyn, although he died in 1896 believing one of his designs would be built there.
As the Vatican attempts to engage both Ukrainian and Russian officials amid ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire, Pope Francis is sending four ambulances to Ukraine filled with medical supplies for Easter.
With thousands of infirmed people and those who care for them gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a nasal cannula, made an unexpected appearance to greet the crowd.
Pope Francis’ condition remains stable, and an X-ray showed there has been a slight improvement regarding his lingering lung infection, the Vatican press office said.
A new study has found that in many countries around the world, 20% or more of all adults have left their childhood religion, with Christianity and Buddhism being the religions that have experienced the largest losses.
The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2023, while the number of seminarians, priests, men and women in religious orders, and baptisms all declined, according to Vatican statistics.
For Pope Francis’ medical team at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Feb. 28 was the worst day.
