Pope Francis, why the bulletin does not reveal the results of the CT scan: rumors leak from the Vatican

"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father remain critical, but stable. There have been no acute respiratory episodes and the hemodynamic parameters continue to be stable." This is explained in the latest evening bulletin from the Vatican Press Office. After a quiet night, without any respiratory crisis, the patient was able to sit up, eat and spend a reasonable day (Vatican sources have remarked that "he was able to get up"), he received the Eucharist, dedicating time and energy also to work. The Pontiff "had a scheduled control CT scan in the evening for radiological monitoring of bilateral pneumonia. The prognosis remains reserved."

The bulletin does not indicate the outcome of the CT scan. Vatican sources explain that the results have not been made public because doctors are still examining them, while the Pontiff continues to be helped with high-flow oxygenation "which is adjusted according to the situation."

Moreover, we must not forget the general clinical picture of Francis: bilateral pneumonia, on organs already affected by various chronic complications, some of which are long-standing, and what's more, on an 88-year-old patient: As explained by the doctors who are treating him in the first press briefing (held last February 21), from the day of his hospitalization, the course of the Pontiff's illness can only be defined as delicate.

Despite his hospital stay and his difficult health conditions, he has faced important commitments from the point of view of the government of the Church: the convocation of an upcoming Consistory for the canonization of two blesseds and the decree on the beatification process of Salvo D'Acquisto. In fact, he received the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Monsignor Edgar Peña Parra, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, an unprecedented decision because normally the one to submit the decrees of the saints to the Pope is the cardinal titular of the Dicastery of Saints, currently Marcello Semeraro. It is therefore easy to assume that the Pope has spoken with the major exponents of the Secretariat of State about other issues as well. In the meantime, he has also made new episcopal appointments: the resignation of the auxiliary bishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); the resignation and appointment of the metropolitan archbishop of Vancouver (Canada); the resignation and appointment of the bishop of Itapetininga (Brazil); the appointment of the bishop of Itabuna (Brazil); the appointment of auxiliary bishops of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). All measures that, for the respective communities, are obviously very important.

"This is a special moment for the entire Church and we too, as Catholic schools, want to join in the prayers that are coming for the health and healing of Pope Francis: today, February 26, in every Fidae school there will be a moment of personal and collective prayer for the Holy Father by teachers, students and all families." This is what the national president of Fidae, Federation of Catholic Schools, Virginia Kaladich, announces, adding that "we would also like to invite our kids to produce something concrete, a video, a drawing, a written thought addressed to our Pope to make him feel the closeness of the school world that is so dear to him." All thoughts, prayers, drawings, videos and letters must be sent to[email protected] .

On the twelfth day of the Pope's hospitalization at Gemelli, the faithful continue to gather to pray together at the foot of the statue of Pope John Paul II, while the marathon of prayers continues in St. Peter's Square (at 9 pm yesterday evening the scheduled recitation of the rosary presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Manila) and also in basilicas, sanctuaries, cathedrals, churches, parishes throughout the world.

There is, however, a special place where one prays more intensely and with particular affection: it is the neighborhood of San José de Flores (or Flores) in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, where Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in 1936 and attended elementary school (from 1943 to 1948), found his priestly vocation (1953) and where he celebrated his last mass before becoming Pope.

Precisely because of this deep bond, the people of Flores respond with prayers, masses, candles and great concern for the health of the Pontiff. People are also praying for him in the tormented Ukraine. "We pray for the health of the Holy Father. Since the Pope has been in the hospital, for many days now, we pray for him during Mass and with the rosary. People are very grateful to him, because the Pope has been praying for Ukraine since the beginning of the war": says the Latin rite Catholic bishop of Zaporizhzhia, Monsignor Yan Sobilo.