Pope Francis visited children and baptized a baby during his hospital admission

He Pope Francisco visited the pediatric oncology floor of the hospital where he remains hospitalized this Friday afternoon, Gemelli of Romewhere he distributed gifts to several children and baptized one of them, reported the Vatican after confirming that he is expected to be discharged tomorrow.

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Francisco left the apartment reserved for the pontiffs and went to the pediatric area to deliver rosaries, Easter eggs and copies of the book “Nacque Gesù a Betlemme di Giudea…” (“Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea”).

During the visit, which lasted about half an hour, the pope imparted the sacrament of baptism to a few-week-old boy named Miguel Angelwhose video was broadcast by the Holy See.

According to the Vatican spokesman, Matteo BruniFrancisco will leave the hospital tomorrow, after passing today a series of controls for bronchitis for which he had to be admitted on Wednesday.

Francisco, 86 years old, has spent his second night in the Gemelli hospital in Rome because of bronchitis and his intention is to be present at the acts of the Easteralthough I do not officiate them.

This photo taken and distributed by The Vatican Media on March 31, 2023 shows Pope Francis visiting children in the oncology ward of the Gemelli hospital in Rome, the same hospital where the Pope was admitted to another ward on March 29 for bronchitis. (Photo by Handout / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP) (HANDOUT/)

In fact, he will attend the mass of the Palm Sunday in the square of Saint Peter.

Given his state of health, with the convalescent pontiff, the Vatican works on a program that allows Easter to be celebrated and, according to the media, the idea is that the rites are officiated at the altar by different cardinals but presided over by Francisco.

Palm Sunday will be officiated by the vice-dean of the College of Cardinals, the cardinal Leonardo Sandriand with this celebration the most important week of the liturgical calendar will open, in which Catholics commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ.

At the moment it has not been confirmed in which mode Francisco he will be involved in the different masses, if for example he will read homilies or messages like the one he usually pronounces at the end of the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, in the Roman Coliseum.

For now, it is expected that he will be in charge of delivering the homily of the Palm Sunday and also to impart the traditional blessing “Urbi et Orbi” and read his Easter Sunday message from the central loggia of the Basilica of Saint Peter.

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Francisco suffers from infectious-based bronchitis and is receiving intravenous infusion of antibiotics, a therapy that has produced “the expected effects with a notable improvement in their state of health”, indicated the Vatican spokesman.

This morning, after his second night hospitalized and as he did the day before, he has had breakfast, read some newspapers and continued with his work from the hospital.

It is the second time that Francisco He is admitted to this Roman hospital, after he underwent colon surgery on July 4, 2021 and remained hospitalized for ten days, in which he came to officiate the Angelus from the balcony of the health center.

Since thenthe Pope has only suffered a problem in the right knee that forces him to walk with a cane or a wheelchair and has assured on several occasions that he does not want to operate.

Source: Elcomercio