Vatican City (TDI): Pope Francis will mark the 12th anniversary of his election as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Thursday, but he will do so from Rome’s Gemelli hospital where he has been treated for double pneumonia for almost a month.
The latest bulletins from the Vatican on the pope’s condition have said he is improving and is no longer in serious danger.
They have not provided any details when he will be discharged from hospital.
Francis was elected pope by the world’s Roman Catholic cardinals on March 13, 2013.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official known as close to Francis, described the pope’s anniversary “a reason for gratitude,” according to Reuters.
He stated “This year, the pope’s illness makes us especially aware (of the anniversary), very grateful to God, and redoubling our prayers for his full recovery.”
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, is the first pope from the Americas.
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Elected pontiff at age 76, he moved swiftly to make an impact. Over twelve years, he has reorganized the Vatican’s bureaucracy, written 4 major teaching documents, made 47 foreign tours to more than 65 nations, and created over 900 saints.
Overall, he is widely seen as trying to open the staid global Church to the modern world.
Among major decisions, he has permitted priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis and has appointed females to serve as leaders of Vatican offices for the first time.
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He has also held 5 major Vatican summits of the world’s Catholic bishops to discuss contested matters such as women’s ordination and changing the Church’s sexual teachings.
