The Vatican has confirmed that the Pope will be discharged this Saturday after being hospitalized for bronchitis, according to the director of the Vatican press office, Matteo Bruni.
"The medical team that follows His Holiness Pope Francis, after evaluating the results of the examinations carried out today and the favorable clinical evolution, has confirmed the discharge of the Holy Father from the A. Gemelli Hospital for tomorrow (this Saturday)," reported the Friday Bruni in relation to the last medical part.
Addressing the health personnel present, the Pope dedicated "a thought to all those who contribute to alleviating the physical illnesses and anguish of those who are called daily to bear witness to the cross of Christ" and thanked "their self-sacrifice and spirit of service".
The Pope has baptized this Friday a baby named Miguel Ángel, a few weeks old, admitted to the Pediatric Oncology floor of the same hospital.
Francisco has visited the children of this plant, to whom he has brought rosaries, chocolate eggs and copies of the book 'Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea'. After the visit, the Pontiff returned to his room on the tenth floor of the Gemelli Polyclinic hospital, where he was also in June 2021 when he underwent surgery for severe diverticular stenosis with signs of sclerosing diverticulitis.
The Pope will preside over the liturgical appointments of Holy Week, according to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, in statements to the Italian media.
"According to the information I have, he will leave Gemelli tomorrow (this Saturday), so he will be able to preside over all the rites of Holy Week," Re said in statements to the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
In practice, the expression "to preside over" the rites indicates the presence of the Pope at the masses scheduled for Holy Week, although it will be other cardinals who celebrate them, as occurred at the funeral of Benedict XVI.
In any case, it will be a different Holy Week in the Vatican. It is expected that in principle it will be the Argentine cardinal Leonardo Sandri, vice dean of the College of Cardinals, who celebrates the mass on Palm Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Mass of Holy Thursday will be celebrated by the archbishop vicar of the Pope for the city of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, together with all the priests of the diocese of Rome, while in the Mass in the Lord's Supper, in the afternoon of that same day, with the washing of the feet, will be celebrated by the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, the Franciscan Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, as reported by 'Il Corriere Della Sera'.
Whether or not he reads his Easter message 'Urbi et Orbi', one of the most important messages of the year, will depend on the total recovery of the Pope.
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