Pope Francis seriously ill: unrest in the Vatican

Pope

Quiet in Gemelli – unrest in the Vatican

It is an up and down. The Pope has survived the latest relapse. But the talk in the Vatican becomes louder. Important dates will soon be pending: with or without Francis?

In the Vatican it becomes increasingly restless after half a month absence of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old survived the first time after his latest breath of breath, according to official information, without further crises. Because of the severe pneumonia, the doctors in the Gemelli Hospital of Rome remain very careful with further forecasts. The speculation about a change at the top of the Catholic Church State does not tear off.

The Vatican is visibly trying to rumors about a resignation of Francis based on the model of its German predecessor Benedict XVI. to bring back under control. The influential Italian cardinal Angelo Bagnasco warned at the weekend that there was no reason to talk about it. “The church is not a company.” Nevertheless, speculation continued – especially for Francis, important appointments are imminent in the near future.

Next week it has been twelve years ago that the Argentinian – with a bourgeois name Jorge Mario Bergoglio – was elected to the Pope. A month later, the Easter week begins with a climax on Easter Sunday: Then the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide usually donates the blessing “Urbi et Orbi” from the balcony of St. Peter’s cathedral (“The city and the earth”). Francis has never noticed that. In addition, 2025 is also a “holy year” with a particularly large number of Rome pilgrims.

After more than two weeks in the Gemelli Hospital, however, it is not clear that the Pontifex could soon be released. In the bulletin from the clinic, which is spread every evening, it says with great regularity: “The forecast remains behavior.” It also says that the case is “complex”. From a medical point of view, pneumonia with various pathogens of such old age is very critical.

In the meantime, the Pope has had two severe breath of breath. Most recently, according to official information, he suffered a so -called bronchospasm on Friday: the muscles in the airways cramped, he no longer seemed to get air and had to hand over. Then he got mechanically oxygen through a mask on the mouth and nose. It was emphasized, however, that he was never artificially ventilated.

According to the Vatican, the weekend went without new complications until Sunday afternoon. Francis can get up, eat normally and is also “always vigilant and oriented”. In the morning it was said again that he spent a quiet night. However, the Pope had to make his Sunday prayer out of tens of thousands of believers on St. Peter’s Square for the third time in a row. That has never been done in his term. From the clinic he thanked prayers and recovery requests in writing.

In contrast to earlier popes, Francis gave instructions to make no secret of his state of health. However, he has not been seen in public since he was admitted. High -ranking cardinals represent him on official occasions. On St. Peter’s Square, a rosary is now prayed for him every evening with thousands of participants. At the age of 88, he is now the second oldest Pope in history.

Despite various appeals from the curia – the power apparatus of the Vatican – has long been speculated about Francis. “Even Cardinal Bagnasco, the long -time chairman of Italy’s bishops’ conference. Therefore, these thoughts seem to me what will be, what will be done and how, simply out of place. “

The number two of the Vatican, Cardinal State Secretary Pietro Parolin (70), is most common in speculation. The cardinals Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Matteo Zupi and Claudio Gugerotti are under discussion as other Italians. Most recently, an Italian was at the head of the Catholic Church in 1978: Johannes Paul I, who died in office after only 33 days.

However, the large circle of candidates also include non-Italians such as Petér Erdö from Hungary, Jean-Claude Hollerich from Luxembourg, Wim Eijk from the Netherlands, Jean-Marc Aveline from France, Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines, Stephen Chow from Hong Kong or Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from the Congo. Currently, 137 cardinals from all over the world would be entitled to vote in a conclave.