Pope's health slightly improved, his homily is read at Jubilee Mass

Pilgrims pray outside Gemelli Hospital

Source: Vatican Media

Pope Francis' condition remains stable and has slightly improved, Vatican media announced this evening.

In the morning, the Pope received a visit from Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the Substitute for the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra. He also attended Mass with hospital staff.

In the afternoon he followed the Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia given by the Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, via video link.

The Holy See Press Office has issued the following health update:

'The Pope continued his therapy, as well as respiratory and motor physiotherapy. He is following the prescribed diet, which now includes solid foods.

'His condition appears stable, with slight gradual improvements. However, the overall situation remains complex, prompting doctors to maintain a guarded prognosis. Tonight, following the high-flow oxygenation with nasal cannulas during the day, the Pope will again transition to non-invasive mechanical ventilation, as planned.'

In his text prepared for the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis invited everyone to care for those who are ill, and prayed for the many people suffering due to violent conflicts.

He recalled the Church's Lenten journey toward Easter, inviting Christians to make it "a time of purification and spiritual renewal, a path of growth in faith, hope, and charity."

The Pope wrote that he was thinking especially of the many people who care for those who are sick, saying they represent a sign of the Lord's presence for those under their care.

"During my prolonged hospitalization here," he said, "I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care, in particular from the doctors and healthcare workers, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart."

He called for a "miracle of tenderness" to accompany everyone facing adversity, so that they might perceive "a little light in the night of pain."

The Pope then thanked everyone who has been praying for him, adding that he wishes to join spiritually with officials of the Roman Curia for their annual Spiritual Exercises.

Pope Francis went on to recall the Jubilee for the World of Volunteering, which was held over the weekend in Rome.

"In our societies, too enslaved to market logic, where everything risks being subject to the criterion of interest and the quest for profit," he said, "volunteering is prophecy and a sign of hope, because it bears witness to the primacy of gratuitousness, solidarity, and service to those most in need."

He thanked everyone who volunteers in their local communities out of the goodness of their hearts, saying their care can help to reawaken hope in others.

In conclusion, Pope Francis prayed for the gift of peace for "martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo."

He also expressed concern for recent outbreaks of violence in Syria, calling for "full respect for all ethnic and religious components of society, especially civilians."

Thousands of volunteers from around the world have been in Rome for the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering. The special Mass with them in St Peter's Square was presided over by Cardinal Michael Czerny Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, together with over a hundreds bishops and priests. The Pope's spiritual presence among them was symbolized in the papal banner displayed on the central loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica. Cardinal Czerny read the homily prepared by Pope Francis.

In his homily text, read by Cardinal Czerny, the Holy Father focused on the beginning of the Lenten journey, but had special words for the volunteers: "all those small gestures" that "in the deserts of poverty and loneliness" help "a new humanity blossom in the garden that is God's dream, always and everywhere, for all of us."

"I thank you heartily, dear friends, because, following the example of Jesus, you serve your neighbours unstintingly. On the streets and in homes, in the company of the sick, the suffering and the imprisoned, with the young and the elderly, your generosity and commitment offer hope to our entire society."

Read the full homily text here: www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2025/documents/20250309-omelia-giubileo-volontariato.html