Vatican Tries to Tamp Down Questions on Pope’s Health
ROME—The Vatican on Tuesday sought to conclusion speculation that Pope Francis might have contracted the coronavirus, adhering to practically a 7 days of concern about the pope’s well being amid the epidemic’s distribute in Italy.
“The Holy Father’s chilly diagnosed in modern days is jogging its class, without the need of indications attributable to other pathologies,” stated the Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, in a statement Tuesday evening.
Mr. Bruni was responding to an Italian media report that the pope had been tested past 7 days for the coronavirus, with a adverse final result. The spokesman did not say no matter if in truth the pope had been tested for the virus.
His statement recalled the media speculation and incomplete disclosures by the Vatican that characterised coverage of Pope John Paul II’s well being for various years previous his loss of life in 2005.
Pope Francis was visibly sick on Wednesday past 7 days, when he spoke with a hoarse voice and blew his nose at Ash Wednesday Mass. For the adhering to three days, he noticed a restricted get the job done schedule, canceling speeches to big groups but continuing to maintain personal conferences in his home, on account of what the Vatican termed a “slight indisposition.” It was his longest extend off get the job done for well being factors due to the fact his election practically seven years in the past.
On Saturday, the pope was photographed conference Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, with neither male wearing a protecting mask.
On Sunday, the pope appeared at a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square for the standard noon Angelus prayer. He coughed twice in ten minutes and seemed marginally exhausted but notify, improvising remarks about the satan and the plight of war refugees. He announced that he had a chilly and would be skipping a weeklong retreat for Vatican officers scheduled to commence that evening.
“I will be adhering to the meditations from in this article,” he stated.
Mr. Bruni, the spokesman, stated afterward that “there is no evidence to diagnose the pope with anything other than the chilly he pointed out this morning.”
The pope had aspect of a lung taken off adhering to a struggle with a respiratory illness as a youthful male.
The pope’s schedule for this 7 days had been cleared extended in the past simply because of the prepared retreat, so he hasn’t had to cancel any other appointments through his restoration. On Tuesday evening, Mr. Bruni stated the pope has ongoing to celebrate Mass just about every morning in his home.
Generate to Francis X. Rocca at [email protected]
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