Being one of two predominantly-Christian
nations in Asia, the Philippines prides itself on the special attention given
it by the Roman Catholic Church. The country has been visited by three different
popes, the most recent being by Pope Francis in 2015. His visit was especially
memorable due to it also being in remembrance of the effects of 2013’s Typhoon
Yolanda, for which the Argentinian Pontiff celebrated Mass in Tacloban and met
with survivors of the calamity. It is no surprise then that Filipinos joined
with the rest of world Christianity in worrying for Pope Francis following his recent
hospitalization for surgery, and were relieved when he recovered enough to pray
with the public on Sunday.
According to The Manila Bulletin, Pope Francis put the minds of pilgrims waiting
outside the Gemelli Hospital in Rome at ease when, this past July 11, he
appeared on the balcony of his room at the 10th floor to not only
greet the faithful but join them in praying the Angelus at the time. The
Pontiff had been admitted at Gemelli Hospital since two Sundays ago, July 4, to
undergo colon surgery. Despite a brief scare where the 84-year-old Pope
developed a post-operation fever, no abnormalities were detected and he has
recovered without further complications.
Following the recitation of the
Angelus that Sunday, Pope Francis spoke briefly from the Gemelli Hospital
balcony to well-wishers below. “I am glad to be able to keep the Sunday Angelus
appointment, even here,” he says. “In these days of being hospitalized, I have
experienced how important good health care is, accessible to all, as it is in
Italy and in other countries. A healthcare system that assures good service,
accessible to everyone…This precious benefit must not be lost. It needs to be
kept.” The Pontiff then thanked the Gemelli staff and enjoined the faithful to
pray for the sick.
An official statement from the
Holy See communications office revealed that Pope Francis was scheduled for
surgery last week due to inflammation of the colon. This specific condition,
stenotic diverticulitis, is said by the US National Institutes for Health to be
common in over half of American adults, and becomes more prevalent with age. It
is expected that the Pontiff will be released from the hospital any day this
week.
Image courtesy of Inquirer.net
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