Pneumonia Hospitalization Day 28... Pope Celebrates 12th Anniversary of Enthronement from Hospital Bed

Pope Francis marked the 12th anniversary of his papacy on the 13th (local time) while bedridden. The Vatican Press Office announced in a morning statement that the Pope had spent another peaceful night.

Pope Francis. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Pope Francis was elected as the 266th Pope through the conclave on March 13, 2013. This year coincides with the Catholic Jubilee, returning after 25 years, making it a day of more blessings than ever, but the Pope quietly marked his 12th anniversary of papal enthronement from his sickbed.

The Pope has been hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli Hospital since the 14th of last month and is receiving treatment for pneumonia in both lungs, marking the 28th day of hospitalization. This is the longest hospitalization since his papacy began. During this period, he experienced respiratory distress four times and faced critical moments, but his condition has recently shown noticeable improvement.

On the 10th, the Vatican announced that "the Pope's condition is no longer serious enough to threaten his life." The Vatican also reported yesterday that chest X-ray examinations confirmed the improvement in his condition.

The timing of the Pope's discharge has not yet been decided. Even if the Pope is discharged and returns to work, considering his advanced age of 88 and health status, it is widely expected that he will find it difficult to engage in vigorous activities as in the past.

Some speculate that if the Pope judges it difficult to perform his duties, he might resign voluntarily. Early in his papacy, the Pope expressed respect for his predecessor Benedict XVI's "courageous resignation," but recently he has emphasized that the papacy is a lifelong position and clearly stated that he has no intention of stepping down voluntarily.

During his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo in February 2023, he said, "I believe the papacy should be a lifelong office until death," clearly drawing a line against speculation that he might retire during his lifetime. However, the Pope prepared a resignation letter in advance at the time of his enthronement in 2013 in case sudden health deterioration makes it impossible for him to perform his duties.