Pope Francis blesses ashes to mark Ash Wednesday; health stable
Pope Francis marked Ash Wednesday by blessing ashes and placing a call from his hospital room to a Gaza parish as Catholics around the world celebrated the first day of Lent by praying for the pontiff's recovery from pneumonia in both lungs.
Francis "engaged in several work activities," Wednesday morning, including calling Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, a Vatican statement said. In the afternoon, the pope alternated between rest and work.
"The Holy Father increased his respiratory and active motor physiotherapy," the Vatican said in a statement. "He spent the day in his armchair. Given the complexity of the clinical situation, the prognosis remains guarded."
A statement issued earlier Wednesday said the pope had a restful night in Rome's Gemelli Hospital and was in stable condition. The pope slept with mechanical ventilation at night but switched to a simple, high-flow oxygen tube in his nose Wednesday, the update said.
The pope released a prepared text Wednesday for his General Audience, the Vatican said. He normally conducts the audiences in person on Wednesdays in St. Peter's Square. Ash Wednesday routinely draws a large crowd.
Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence for many Catholics and other Christian denominations. It marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent that ends on Holy Thursday, three days before Easter Sunday.
The pope also appeared to have a good day Tuesday, remaining stable during the day and suffering no episodes of respiratory failure or bronchospasm that have slowed his recovery in recent days, according to the Vatican. Francis did not run a fever and remained alert and cooperative, it said.
Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after battling bronchitis for more than a week. He had been struggling to speak and breathe during public appearances and was later diagnosed with a polymicrobial infection and mild renal insufficiency, both of which appeared to be under control, the Vatican says.