Continuing his convalescence at Casa
Santa Marta, after 38 days spent at Rome's Gemelli Hospital for
bilateral pneumonia, Pope Francis continues his drug therapy,
and regularly also undergoes physiotherapy, both respiratory and
motor, to which he "devotes a lot of time", the Vatican press
office said Friday.
These show a slight improvement in terms of motor and
respiratory functions and also in "vocal expression", it said.
As far as oxygenation is concerned, during the day the Pontiff
receives "ordinary administration" of oxygen, during the night
"when necessary, high flows are used: in any case, in all
modalities, the gradation and intensity "are lower than before".
A slight improvement in the "infectious indicators" was also
reported based on blood tests performed in recent days:
essentially, the lung infection, which has been under control
for some time, remains, but now with a marked and further
improvement.
Above all, the one that will take the longest to be completely
eradicated is the fungal infection.
As far as his activity is concerned, the Pope dedicates part of
his time to physiotherapy, therefore to work, and on Friday
morning he followed the Lenten sermon via video link with the
Paul VI Hall, while on Thursday from the Vatican Basilica he
followed the mass of Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin
for the 20th anniversary of the death of Saint Pope John Paul
II.
There have been no visits to the Pope, except those of his
closest collaborators, the press office said.
Regarding the Angelus next Sunday, which coincides with the
Jubilee of the Sick and the World of Health, possible methods
other than simply distributing the text in written form are
being evaluated, but at the moment no decision has been made.
The homily of the mass will certainly be the Pope's and will be
read by the celebrant, Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
So far, however, Francis has never left his apartment on the
second floor of Casa Santa Marta.
The Pope's mood is described as "good".
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