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The world is in mourning. Pope Francis is reportedly in critical condition, battling double pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pope is being treated at Gemelli Hospital in Rome on February 14 after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days, and then diagnosed with pneumonia in both of his lungs, Reuters reported.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and injure both lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican described the pope's infection as "complex," and caused by two or more microorganisms.
This illness has made him unable to get out of bed and serve the congregation as usual. On Sunday, February 23, 2025, for the second consecutive time, the Pope did not appear in public to lead the weekly prayer that he usually does with the Catholic congregation, the Vatican said.
Nevertheless, the Pope is reported to still be trying to make contact from his hospital bed with a parish in Gaza. Sometimes he contacts them via video calls, according to the Vatican, and sometimes through text messages.
In an interview with Vatican News, as quoted by NPR, Pastor Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of the Holy Family Church parish, the only Roman Catholic church in Gaza, said that Pope Francis called from the hospital at 8:00 PM Gaza time every night. The Pope has been in contact almost every day with this church during the war between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023.
Romanelli said that in the phone call, Pope Francis inquired about their condition and his people in Palestine, and conveyed his blessings.
"Even though we experienced power outages throughout the entire Gaza City area, he insisted and managed to contact us via video calls," he said, according to Vatican media.
Romanelli, who, like the Pope, hails from Argentina, told Vatican News that Pope Francis sounded "more tired" than usual.
"He himself said, 'I have to take care of myself.' But you can hear his voice clearly, he is listening to us well."
The Pope has used several opportunities to condemn the heinous war in Gaza. As the leader of the Roman Catholic Church with 1.4 billion members, the Pope is usually cautious in taking sides in conflicts.
However, recently he has been more open about Israel's military campaign against the Palestinian Hamas militia, and suggested that the global community examine whether the attacks amount to genocide against the Palestinian people.
Israel's Military Campaign is "Disgraceful"
Last January, Pope Francis intensified his criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and disgraceful".
In his annual speech to diplomats delivered by an aide, Pope Francis appeared to refer to deaths caused by the winter season in Gaza, where there is almost no electricity, Middle East Monitor reported.
He also mentioned the deaths of children due to cold and condemned the bombing of civilians. "We cannot accept that children die of cold because hospitals have been destroyed or a country's energy network has been hit."
An Israeli minister openly criticized the Pope in December for the suggestion.
Alarming Humanitarian Situation
During the Christmas address, "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) in the Vatican, Pope Francis said, "I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, especially in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is very alarming."
"May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released, and aid provided to people who are exhausted from hunger and war," he said as quoted by Al Jazeera. He also condemned the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Sudan.
In December 2024, the Pope openly condemned Israel's air strikes on Gaza, expressing his sorrow over the bombing of children in the Gaza Strip the day before, Anadolu reported.
"Yesterday, children were bombed. This is not a war. This is a cruelty. I want to say this because it touches my heart," he said to members of the Roman Curia, the central administration of the Vatican.
He also regretted that Israel's air strikes had prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, from entering Gaza.
The Pope's criticism was immediately addressed by Israel by summoning the Vatican's ambassador, Bishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, a week later.
Shameful Inability
On Monday, October 7, 2024, Pope Francis criticized what he called the "shameful inability" of the international community to end the war in the Middle East, one year after Hamas' fierce attack on Israel, Reuters reported.
The Pope sent an open letter to the Catholic community in Gaza.
"A year ago, the fuse of hatred was lit; it has not extinguished, but has exploded into a spiral of violence," he said.
On September 29, the Pope criticized Israel's air strikes in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the fighters, and stated that the air strikes "exceeded moral limits".
Earlier in September, the Pope described Israel's actions in Lebanon as "unacceptable" and urged the international community to do everything possible to stop the fighting.
In his letter, Francis directly addressed the people of Gaza: "I am with you, the people of Gaza, who have long been besieged and are in distress. You are in my thoughts and prayers every day," he wrote.
"I am with you, who have been forced to leave your homes, leave school and work, and seek refuge from the bombing ... I am with you, who are afraid to look up for fear of the rain of fire from the sky," he said.
"Blood is still being shed, as are tears. Anger is growing, along with the desire for revenge, while seemingly few care about what is most needed and most wanted: dialogue and peace," he added.
Now, the figure who always keeps the hearts and spirits of the Catholic people of Gaza is lying down, and the whole world is praying for his recovery.
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