A Capellán del Gemelli pray to God for Pope Francis to guide the Church again

Since last Friday, Pope Francis was admitted to the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, dozens of people have approached the small “Juan Pablo II” chapel located on the second floor.

The Franciscan Nunzio Currao, one of the chaplains of the hospital center, celebrates the daily mass at 1:00 pm (local time) and is rarely absent. On the morning of Thursday, February 20, with the right time and the point of attending the celebration, he left a clear message about the health of the pontiff.

“May the Lord keep Pope Francis and strengthen him in his ministry, so he can, when the right time comes, continue guiding the Church with his wisdom and love,” he told ACI Press.

The square, located under the window of the apartment where the Holy Father receives treatment with antibiotics to combat the bilateral pneumonia that afflicts him, has become an impromptu altar, attracting dozens of people who wish to express his love.

Many people pray the Angelus there every day. Emanuela is one of them. He accompanies his old mother of the arm and, without giving more details, he assured ACI Press that he wants to “show him his support.” With deep devotion, he referred to the difficult moment that the Pope is going through: “I pray for his speedy recovery so he can return to the Vatican.”

Behind her stands the imposing statue of San Juan Pablo II, erected in front of the hospital in memory of her passage through this place. The Polish Pope was the first pontiff to use the papal apartment of the polyclinic. In fact, the “Vatican number three” called him, alluding to his third residence after the Apostolic Palace and the summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.

The Gemelli Hospital, about 20 minutes by the Vatican, is considered by many Romans a “authentic city” for its enormous size and more than 5,000 workers. Among them is Claudio, who attends with a smile in the cafeteria and, after two decades in the center, he knows his dynamics perfectly.

Claudio’s anecdote about Pope’s favorite dessert: Panna Cotta

Speaking to ACI Press, Claudio recalled that, during the last hospitalization of Pope Francis in the Gemelli, the chef of the center “cook him personally.”

According to the Holy Father’s favorite dessert is the panna cottaa typical sweet of the Italian region of the Piedmont, made with cream, sugar, cream cheese and gelling, usually adorned with red fruits jams.

“He prepared it with all the love, especially for him,” he said.

Good humor even in difficult times

Those who know Pope Francis well knows that he has a sparkling humor. Therefore, it is not surprising that it continues to show its sympathy even in these difficult times, while continuing in the Gemelli polyclinic with a diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia, detected by the doctors on Tuesday afternoon, which joined the asthmatic bronchitis that already suffered .

Despite the disease, on Wednesday he was encouraged to receive his first official visit. At 3:10 pm (local time), the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, entered her room on the tenth hospital. The meeting lasted 20 minutes.

After the meeting, Meloni declared: “I am very happy to have found him attentive and receptive.”

In an institutional note published by the Chigi Palace, headquarters of the Italian Government, he said that “as always, we were joking.” “The Pope has not lost his proverbial sense of humor,” he added.