Although for days the pope's medical report was encouraging, the atmosphere in Rome was still one of anxiety and uncertainty. In fact, on Thursday morning the Vatican announced that the public catechesis that the pope was scheduled to lead on Saturday was suspended. The faithful are anxiously awaiting his return.
P. FERNANDO LAGUNA
We all regret not being able to have him and not being able to shake his hand, however, from the pope we look to the Lord. Thank you for your word to the Church and to the world and that we stand by him, that he knows that we stand by him. He knows it, but we also say it to him.
The expressions of support and affection for Francis incessantly continue in these weeks in which it is not known exactly when he will return to Santa Marta.
Sebastian has an ice cream parlor. A very special ice cream shop. Pope Francis usually calls there to order his favorite ice creams: lemon, mango and dulce de leche. Sebastián fondly remembers the first time he was able to deliver one of his homemade ice creams.
SEBASTIAN PADRON
The first time it was on our account to take an ice cream to the Pope, to see if we could get close to him and get him to try the ice cream. And yes, he tried it and well, then this chain of buying started. They started to come, to call, to order us to prepare ice cream for him, to prepare some dessert…
He says he is my friend, every person I know who has talked to him, tells them “go and eat my friend Sebastian's ice cream!
Daniel is another local artisan who has worked for Francis. In fact, he was in charge of repairing the briefcase that always accompanies the pontiff on his travels.
His small store has already received orders from Santa Marta on many occasions.
DANIEL ARELLANO
We have been really very worried about Pope Francis, about his health, but… thanks to God he is now recovering a little bit thanks to the cures he is receiving and I am very happy, no? Especially for those of us who follow him, who are watching him and? Thank goodness! Hopefully, we are crossing our fingers that, he can recover and return to his work and to be the strong, charismatic person he always was ….. as we always see him!
The Argentinean college of seminarians has also closely followed the pope's admission to the hospital. They pray and, hoping for his speedy recovery, they cling to their faith:
FATHER ANDRES
From faith, one tends not to be frightened in the face of illness, but at the same time, to accompany the process. So, as Argentinean priests who live in Rome, Argentinean priests who live and study here with us, it is always a space, in any case, to keep Pope Francis in mind and even more so in this situation that needs our company and our prayer.
At the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis has been staying since February 14, a daily holy hour has been organized for all the faithful who wish to pray for the healing of the first Latin American pope in history.
JH
