Pope Francis sent a brief but emotional audio message from the hospital to the crowd gathered in the Plaza de San Pedro this Thursday, March 6.
“I appreciate with all my heart the prayers that do for my health from the square, I accompany you from here. May God bless you and let the Virgin take care of them. Thank you, ”said the Holy Father in Spanish, in a broken voice and remarkable difficulty in speaking.
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With a delicate voice thread but wanting to be present despite its fragility, Pope Francis thanked by surprise from the Gemelli to all the faithful who joined in prayer for their speedy recovery at the foot of the Basilica of San Pedro.
Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, who presided over the Rosary tonight, introduced the Pope’s message, which was received with strong applause by all the faithful.
This is the first time that the voice of Pope Francis is heard in public in more than three weeks, from the general hearing of February 12, when he apologized for not being able to read the catechesis.
The Holy Father has been hospitalized for bilateral pneumonia since February 14, 21 days ago.
Almudena Martínez-Bordiú
I am graduated in journalism and advertising from the CEU San Pablo University of Madrid. Specialized in religious information in Spain since 2015. I have been a senior correspondent for ACI Press and Ewtn News in the Vatican for two years and I am currently a correspondent from Europe based on Spain.