Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for a Mass and canonization of 14 new saints on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
CNA Staff, Feb 26, 2025 / 11:10 am (CNA).
PopeFrancisenteredthehospitalfortreatmentofbronchitisonFeb.14.Almosttwoweekslater,doctorssaythepope—whocontractedacaseofdoublepneumoniawhileatRome’sGemelliHospitalandexperienceda“respiratorycrisis”onSaturday—willremaininthefacilitywhilerecoveringduetohis“complex”medicalsituation.
Anextendedhospitalstayforoneofthemostimportantinternationalfiguresintheworldmayraisethequestion:WhoexactlyrunstheVaticanwhenapopeishospitalizedorunabletoperformhisnormalduties?
MatthewBunson,vicepresidentandeditorialdirectorofEWTNNewsandtheauthorofnumerousbooksonCatholicismincluding“EncyclopediaofCatholicHistory,”toldCNAthatalthoughPopeFrancishasbeeninthehospitalforalmosttwoweeks,hehascontinuedatleastsomeoversightofVaticanaffairs.
BunsonpointedtocoveragebyACIStampa,CNA’sItalian-languagenewspartner,whichreportedthatthepopeearlierthisweekm
