Easter without the Pope: Francis urgently hospitalized and will spend several days in the hospital

On the evening of March 29, the Vatican press service reported that the Pope had been hospitalized with a respiratory infection. Francis needs a few days of hospital care. Therefore, he will spend several days in the Gemelli clinic. There is no word on the status of the pontiff. A number of Western publications claim that Francis has a severe lung infection.

In recent days, the pontiff has had difficulty breathing. He did a code test. The result was negative.

The hospitalization of the Pope for several days means that he will not be able to personally perform the service on the occasion of the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem on April 2. Catholics also call this holiday Palm Sunday. For the Orthodox it is known as Palm Sunday.

Mass on the occasion of Palm Sunday is of great importance in the preparation for Easter. There are fears that Francis, 86, will not be able to leave the hospital before April 9. And the whole week that precedes this main Christian holiday will pass in the Vatican without the Pope.

Now the visit of Francis to Hungary, which is scheduled for the end of April, is also in question.

The hospitalization of the pontiff was unexpected. On the morning of March 29, he took part in the weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square and looked quite healthy.

Recall that in January, Francis held the funeral of his predecessor Benedict XVI, who became the first pontiff in many centuries to voluntarily resign for health reasons. Francis had previously said that he too could step down from his post if his health deteriorated.

Earlier, Pope Francis said in an interview with journalists that “the Vatican is working well” on the issue of war in Ukraine. Thus, he answered the question about the participation of the Holy See in possible negotiations.