Tuesday, July 07, 2026 | Muharram 21, 1448 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
26°C / 26°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Ailing Pope apologises for Vatican absence

People sit next to the statue of late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli Hospital, in Rome. — Reuters
People sit next to the statue of late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli Hospital, in Rome. — Reuters
minus
plus

ROME: Pope Francis, who has spent the last two nights in hospital, apologised for missing a mass at the Vatican on Sunday, saying that he was still being treated for bronchitis and thanking his doctors for looking after him. Francis, 88, was admitted to a Rome hospital on Friday with a respiratory tract infection. His doctors have ordered him to rest and he was unable to deliver his regular Sunday prayer to pilgrims in St Peter's Square.


"I would have liked to be among you but, as you know, I am here at the Gemelli Hospital because I still need some treatment for my bronchitis," Francis said in a short written version of the prayer. "Thank you for the affection, prayer and closeness with which you are accompanying me in these days, and I would like to thank the doctors and healthcare workers in this hospital for their care," he added. His spokesman told reporters at the Vatican that Francis had slept well, eaten breakfast and read some newspapers and that his treatment was continuing on Sunday. — Reuters


SHARE ARTICLE
Most Read
No Image
ROP allows up to 50% vehicle window tinting Oman’s 263-year-old jackfruit tree still standing ROP urges residents to secure homes before travel Oman rejects transit fees on Strait of Hormuz ships
FOLLOW US
arrow up
home icon