Pope Francis no longer needs the “noninvasive mechanical ventilation” he has used most nights since experiencing a breathing “crisis” Feb. 28, his doctors reported in a bulletin released by the Vatican press office March 19.
International News
St. Peter’s Basilica Becomes a ‘Fixable,’ Explorable Minecraft World
Students around the world now have a chance to be an explorer-restorer of 519-year-old St. Peter’s Basilica thanks to a new online educational opportunity.
30 Years Later: St. John Paul II’s Enduring Challenge to Culture in ‘Evangelium Vitae’
When it came to the life issues, Pope Saint John Paul II was best known for his powerful 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”). This year marks its 30th anniversary.
Catholic Migrant Advocates ‘Deeply Alarmed’ by Trump Use of Alien Enemies Act
President Donald Trump on March 15 invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II, granting himself broad authority under a wartime law to deport people allegedly associated with a Venezuelan gang, sparking a legal battle and prompting concern from Catholic immigration advocates.
Vatican Releases First Photo of Pope Francis Since His Hospitalization
For the first time since Pope Francis was hospitalized in mid-February, the Vatican press office released a photograph of him March 16; the image shows him concelebrating Mass that morning in the chapel of his suite of rooms at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
Biographer: In 12 Years Since Election, Francis Demonstrates Papacy Is a Mission, Not a Job
As Pope Francis celebrates 12th anniversary of his election in the hospital, the papal biographer told The Tablet that the pontiff has “given a very significant witness these last few years … which in many ways is comparable to the witness that John Paul II gave … demonstrating or communicating that the papacy is for life, that it’s a mission, not a job.”
Pope Fights Fake News With Unprecedented Detail About Health Status
An old saying about the Vatican states that “the pope is never sick until he’s dead,” and this position has held true in various cycles of papal health crises throughout recent history, until now, with Pope Francis’ current hospital stay. Throughout his nearly month-long hospital stay, one of the most noteworthy elements of the ordeal has been the unprecedented level of detail provided in his daily medical bulletins.
Pope Out of Danger but To Remain in Hospital
Pope Francis is no longer considered in imminent danger from his lung infection, but he will remain in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several more days to continue receiving medical treatment, the Vatican said.
Pope Follows Lenten Retreat From Hospital; His Condition Remains Stable
As Pope Francis’ condition remains stable, which is a sign of continued improvement, he followed the start of the Lenten retreat for the Roman Curia by video linkup and met again with two top Vatican officials to stay abreast of current events, the Vatican press office said.
Fasting Through the Ages: A Journey from the Apostles to Lent
Directives on how to fast during Lent have evolved over time, but the reason for it is unchanged — to draw closer to God.