Vatican Criticizes Fake News About the Condition of Pope Francis

The health condition of Pope Francis, who has been in the Roman "Agostino Gemelli" clinic since Friday due to bilateral pneumonia, has slightly improved. The Pope is fever-free and his blood values are stable. The Pope dedicated himself to his work throughout the day, the Vatican announced in a statement on Thursday evening.

Before that, the Vatican had announced that the Pope had spent a quiet night. He got up and had breakfast in his chair, the Vatican reported on Thursday morning. On the seventh day of his hospital stay, the Pope continued his treatment and also his work activities, the Vatican stated.

"We are all concerned about the Pope, but the fact that he had breakfast, read the newspapers, and received people means that we are on the right path to a full recovery, which will hopefully happen soon," said Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, head of the Italian Bishops' Conference CEI.

Meloni Visited Pope Francis in the Hospital

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Francis on Wednesday afternoon in the hospital. "As always, we joked. He has not lost his proverbial humor," Meloni said according to a press release. She wished the Pope a speedy recovery on behalf of the entire Italian nation. On Tuesday evening, the Vatican announced that a CT scan had revealed the "onset of bilateral pneumonia." This means that both lungs are affected by the infection. Additionally, the statement said that the clinical picture remains "complex." The Pope is suffering from an infection caused by multiple pathogens, which complicates the overall treatment.

Vatican: Reports of Last Anointing of Pope Francis Are Fake News

Meanwhile, the Vatican is watching with concern the fake news about the Pope's health condition. In recent days, reports circulated on social media claiming that Francis' condition was so critical that he had already received the last anointing. The false information was fueled by the front of the Pope's opponents in the Vatican, reported the Milan daily "Il Giornale." The Vatican is making great efforts to regularly provide the media with information about the Pope's health. "For weeks, some high prelates have been meeting in the Vatican: they talk, plan, draft projects, and hypothesize about future scenarios regarding a papal election," the paper reported. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, expressed "astonishment" at the false reports about Francis' condition. "There is no concern about Francis' condition. The Pope will return to us once he has completed his treatment. Of course, the complications that have arisen extend the recovery time a bit, but we await him with open arms," Re was quoted by "Il Giornale."

(APA/Red)

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