Pietro Parolin News

Pope Francis remained in critical but stable condition on Tuesday as he continued working from the hospital while battling double pneumonia. The Vatican stated that the 88-year-old pontiff had not experienced any new respiratory crises and that his blood parameters were stable. A follow-up CAT scan was conducted in the evening to assess his lung infection, though the results were not disclosed. Doctors maintained a guarded prognosis.

Pope Francis said in a letter published Tuesday that his lengthy illness has helped make «more lucid» to him the absurdity of war, as his top deputy shot down any suggestion of resignation and plans progressed for an upcoming meeting with Britain's King Charles III, as per a report. Italian daily Corriere della Sera published a letter to the editor from Francis, signed and dated March 14 from Rome's Gemelli hospital where the 88-year-old pontiff has been treated since February 14 for a complex lung infection and double pneumonia, AP reported. In it, Francis renewed his call for diplomacy and international organizations to find a “new vitality and credibility.” And he said that his own illness had also helped make some things clearer to him, including the «absurdity of war». “Human fragility has the power to make us more lucid about what endures and what passes, what brings life and what kills,” he wrote. Responding to a letter from the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Luciano Fontana, Francis also urged him and all those in the media to “feel the full importance of words.”

Pope Francis is currently the most powerful Catholic in the world in the position of the oldest pope in a century, but there are already thoughts about his successor due to his declining health. Currently, Pope Francis is aged 88 years and he has now developed pneumonia in his lungs and is currently hospitalized while he battles the infection, as per sources from the Vatican.

Pope Francis expressed his sadness over the devastation caused by the recent wildfires in California, offering spiritual support to the victims in a telegram sent to the Archbishop of Los Angeles. «Saddened by the loss of life and the widespread destruction,» the pope conveyed his «spiritual closeness» to those affected, according to Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, reported the Associated Press. Among the most tragic losses were houses of worship, including the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which was destroyed by the flames. Cantor Ruth Berman Harris, along with three others, risked their lives to rescue Torah scrolls from the temple as the fire approached. «It’s the heartbeat of any Jewish community,» Berman Harris of the Torah told the Associated Press. Her quick action, despite road closures, saved the sacred texts, but the synagogue itself was lost. «The flames were getting closer,» she explained, recalling how a nearby congregant called her to alert her about the danger. The temple, a cornerstone of the community for over 80 years, was reduced to a few walls and empty space. «There’s absolutely nothing except for a few walls and the empty space,» said Melissa Levy, the synagogue's executive director. Nevertheless, the AP report noted that many congregants have visited the site to say their farewells to a place where they celebrated family milestones and faith, reported the Associated Press.

Pope Francis urged the people and leaders of Congo and South Sudan on Saturday to “turn a page” and forge new paths of reconciliation, peace and development.