ROME (CNS) -- Immediately before leaving Rome's Gemelli hospital after more than five weeks of treatment for breathing difficulties, double pneumonia and infections, Pope Francis greeted hundreds of people who gathered outside the hospital March 23.

With a very weak voice, Pope Francis thanked the crowd, waving his hands and giving a thumbs up.

He also pointed to a woman carrying a yellow-wrapped bouquet of flowers and told the crowd, "She's good." 

An aide had pushed Pope Francis in his wheelchair onto the balcony overlooking the square outside the hospital. Some 600 people had gathered at the hospital, including Rome's Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Hundreds of people also gathered in front of video screens in St. Peter's Square to see the pope for the first time since he was hospitalized Feb. 14.

The pope left the hospital almost immediately after his appearance on the balcony.

The motorcycle police leading the pope's motorcade turned onto the street leading to the Vatican entrance closest to his residence and then turned around. Rather than go directly home, Pope Francis was driven through the center of Rome to the Basilica of St. Mary Major where he has prayed before and after every foreign trip and after his two previous hospitalizations for abdominal surgery.

Pope Francis did not go into the church but left a bouquet of flowers to be placed on the altar under the Marian icon "Salus Populi Romani" or "Health of the Roman People."

Television footage of the pope, seated in the front seat of a white Fiat, showed he was using oxygen through a nasal tube.

Just before the 88-year-old pope had come out on the hospital balcony, the Vatican released a text he had prepared for the midday Angelus prayer. 

The pope's message focused on the day's Gospel reading of the parable of the fig tree from Luke 13:1-9, in which a gardener asks a landowner to allow him to spare a fig tree that had not borne fruit for three years; the gardener asks to be given a year to fertilize and care for the tree in the hope that it would bear fruit in the future.

"The patient gardener is the Lord, who thoughtfully works the soil of our lives and waits confidently for our return to him," the pope wrote.

"In this long period of hospitalization, I have experienced the Lord's patience, which I also see reflected in the tireless solicitude of the doctors and health care workers, as well as in the in the attention and hopes of the family members of the sick," who also are in the Gemelli, he wrote.

"This trusting patience, anchored in God's love that does not fail, is indeed necessary in our lives, especially in facing when the most difficult and painful situations," Pope Francis wrote.

But, like the other messages he released from the hospital on Sundays, the pope also urged prayers for peace and commented on current events. 

"I was saddened by the resumption of heavy Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip, with so many dead and wounded," he said. Israel, citing an impasse in negotiations with Hamas militias, began launching aerial attacks on Gaza March 18, ending a ceasefire that had begun in January.

"I call for an immediate silencing of the weapons; and the courage to resume dialogue, for all hostages to be released and for a final ceasefire to be reached," the pope wrote. The humanitarian situation in Gaza "is once again very serious and requires urgent commitment from the conflicting parties and the international community."

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, head of the medical team treating the pope, had told reporters March 22 that in his rooms at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the pope will continue using oxygen as needed through a nasal tube, will be taking medication to fight a lingering mycosis, a fungal infection, and will be continuing his physical therapy and respiratory therapy. 

The doctors have prescribed two months of rest and recuperation and have urged the pope not to meet with large groups during that time. They also said his voice will require time to recover.

Dr. Luigi Carbone, the assistant director of the Vatican health service and a member of the medical team treating the pope at Gemelli hospital, said that other than an oxygen tank, no special equipment would be needed in the pope's room. He added, though, that the Vatican health service has a doctor and other personnel on duty 24 hours a day.

Even after the pope's return to the Vatican was announced, the rosary for him and for all the sick was continuing in St. Peter's Square each evening.

The crowd gathered to pray March 22 loudly applauded when Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, began the recitation telling them, "The Holy Father is returning home. We give thanks to God and to the Virgin Mary for this great news."

The Vatican press office said that March 23 the rosary would continue and would be led by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica.
 

Pope Francis appears for the first time since his hospitalization from the balcony of Rome's Gemelli Hospital, before leaving the facility where he had been since 14 February. He greeted those present, imparted his blessing and gave the 'thumbs up' to the nearly three thousand people gathered in the square below who were applauding his appearance and release from hospital.

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As he prepares to return to the Vatican after his hospitalization and treatment for bilateral pneumonia, Pope Francis renews his call for peace, urging an end to violence in Gaza and other conflict zones and expresses his gratitude for global efforts towards dialogue, especially in the South Caucasus.

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After 38 days Pope Francis leaves the Gemelli Hospital.

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CNA Staff, Mar 22, 2025 / 14:09 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis will be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, the Vatican said on Saturday afternoon, with the Holy Father leaving the facility after spending more than a month there amid a health crisis. 

Hospital officials said on Saturday that the pope will continue convalescing at his apartment in Casa Santa Marta for at least two months.

Francis first entered the hospital on Feb. 14, more than a month ago. He was treated for several conditions while there including bilateral pneumonia.

Sergio Alfieri, the director of the department of medical and surgical sciences at the hospital, said at a Saturday press conference that Francis would undergo a “protected discharge” and that he will “still have to carry out” treatment “for a long time.”

The pope will continue to receive oxygen during his ongoing convalescence, Alfieri said.

As recently as Friday doctors were still uncertain as to when the Holy Father would be discharged from the hospital. In recent days the Vatican has regularly reported that the pope’s condition has continued to improve.

The Vatican had said earlier on Saturday that Francis would make his first public appearance in weeks on Sunday, with the pope scheduled to appear at a window of the Gemelli Hospital and greet visitors following the Angelus prayer.

Alfieri said on Saturday that doctors at the hospital “were all in charge to try to solve the problem” of the pope’s health struggles.

“Today we are happy to say that tomorrow he will be home,” he said.

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London, England, Mar 22, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic lord mayor of Westminster, London, received a papal knighthood this week, with the leader expressing belief in a “return of pride” in the United Kingdom for Catholics.

Councilor Robert Rigby was formally awarded the knighthood — the highest honor a lay Catholic can be given by the Holy See — on March 20. 

Rigby, 63, has spoken openly about his Catholic faith since being elected lord mayor in May 2024, referring frequently to his Benedictine education at Ampleforth College, Yorkshire, and framing his role as lord mayor as an opportunity to serve the poor and those in need in Westminster.

With the papal designation Rigby will now carry the title of knight of St. Gregory, an honor created in 1831 that recognizes service in public life and to the Church.

“I am a proud Catholic. The investiture at Westminster was a tremendous event and I was moved to see so many people there,” Rigby told CNA.

The papal honor came as more than 500 adults from his home diocese of Westminster were preparing to enter the Catholic Church at Easter. Rigby described it as an important sign. 

“My sense is that we are seeing a return of that pride in our faith across the U.K.,” he said. “Just look at the fact that 500 people are joining the Church in Westminster alone this year. That upward trend is being seen elsewhere in the country.”

In the neighboring Archdiocese of Southwark, around 450 people are similarly preparing to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter. 

During the 60-minute investiture and Mass at Westminster Cathedral, Rigby wore the traditional knight of St. Gregory uniform of dark green tailcoat and trousers trimmed with silver embroidery, a cocked hat, and dress sword with white gloves. 

In attendance were a mixture of leaders from the worlds of politics, charity, and business. The celebrant was Bishop Nicholas Hudson, auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Westminster.

Rigby described the event as “an unexpected honor and one that took me entirely by surprise.”

The lord mayor has placed his Catholic faith at the center of his public role. “Talking about faith — especially if you are in public life — has sometimes been seen as a bit of a risky activity in the U.K.,” he told CNA. “But when I meet groups from different communities across Westminster, it’s clear to me many embrace the idea of faith informing their everyday life.”

Rigby has visited numerous Catholic projects in his time as lord mayor. He has helped serve meals at the Central London Catholic Churches Homeless lunch service run from Farm Street Church and the Companions Café, run by the Companions of the Order of Malta at St. James’ Catholic Church in Spanish Place.

“I made it clear at the start of my mayoral year that I wanted to talk about faith and what Catholicism means to me,” he told CNA. “I have also had the chance to see how it inspires Catholics in Westminster doing amazing things like running cafés for the homeless or the Cardinal Hume Center, which takes in teens who have drifted from home.” 

Part of Rigby’s mission was to reinstate a civic service for Westminster City Council at the Catholic Westminster Cathedral. While an annual civic service for the lord mayor is held at the Anglican Church’s Westminster Abbey every year, the parallel Catholic event had not been held at Westminster Cathedral since 2004. 

The newly reinstated service, which took place on March 16, drew more than 500 worshippers to Westminster Cathedral. 

Westminster archbishop Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who attended the reinstated Catholic civic service, praised Rigby’s contributions. 

“I am very pleased that the lord mayor of Westminster has asked for the tradition of a civic service at Westminster Cathedral to be restored,” he said. “May God bless his dedicated efforts and the population of the city of Westminster.”

Reflecting on his knighthood, Rigby again referred to speaking publicly about his Catholic faith. 

“This award really is a crowning accolade for me as a public and private person,” he said. “When I became lord mayor, I wanted to talk publicly about my faith. It has been my privilege to meet some remarkable Catholics who demonstrate their faith in action in a range of ways.”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 22, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Sean Duffy shared how his family and Catholic faith have sustained him during his extraordinarily intense first months as U.S. secretary of transportation. 

Despite the major challenges he has faced in the role, Duffy said: “I think that when you’re called to service and called in times of crisis, you don’t do it by yourself … you have someone walking with you, and it’s important to tap into your faith.”

In an interview with EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” on March 20, Duffy discussed the horrific airplane crashes in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia earlier this year. He told Arroyo that the devastating losses “put in focus the mission of the department is safety.” 

“It was not the way we anticipated our tenure starting out,” he said. “I talked to a number of the families from the DCA [Reagan National Airport] crash who lost loved ones. And if you can prevent that, if you can have policies in place that save future lives, I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.”

Duffy said the DCA crash “was really day number one” for him and he was thrown into the job at a critical time. 

He shared that the crash has led to the banning of military aircraft operations within the sphere of Reagan National Airport. “But,” he said, “the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] could have seen the data before.”

“Sometimes it’s easy to look back and see data as opposed to looking forward. We’re using AI [artificial intelligence] tools to analyze the data and see other hotspots to make sure that we don’t miss anything moving forward.”

Duffy said the tragic midair collision made the Department of Transportation “look at the system as a whole,” and the goal is to “fix the system before we lose lives.”

Duffy shared future department plans and addressed the negative response he received after he said that he will prioritize transportation work in areas that have the largest populations, specifically those with high marriage rates.

“It’s common sense,” Duffy said. “Where people get married and where people have kids is where we’re going to seek growth. Where you seek growth, you’ll need roads and bridges. This is one consideration I said we’re going to look at because, again, family formation and having kids is where you’ll need infrastructure.”

Family and faith

Duffy, who is a husband and father of nine children, highlighted the importance of family during this time in his life.

When Duffy was asked to take on the secretary role, he first spoke with his family. “I talked to my kids about it,” he said, “and we walked through what does the schedule look like? How does my time at home change with this new job?”

Duffy said his hours are extensive, working 12 to 14 hours a day or if in crisis, through the night. “But it is the best work because you know what we do? We truly do impact people’s lives. How people move, how fast they get home to their loved ones, how safely they travel.”

“So my kids have been incredibly supportive,” he said.

“By the way,” he continued, “public service — it’s not just the individual that serves, families serve. It’s a family commitment to do these jobs, and it is an amazing honor to serve in this president’s cabinet.”

Duffy said it is not only his family that sustains him during his long, sometimes distressing, days but also his faith. He told Arroyo: “My faith is very important to me.”

“I bought a place that’s right near a Catholic church, and I was looking at a number of places and decided, this is probably the place.”

Duffy concluded the interview addressing a viral video of him and his family praying the Hail Mary before his confirmation hearing.

“I just thought, we’re going to take this moment to say the Hail Mary before we walk in, because there’s a lot of bad things that are happening. There’s a lot of forces that are at play, and I want to make sure I’m with the right force,” he said. “I’m going to walk the right line, and that means I have to remain centered, which means I have to be focused on my faith.”

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ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 22, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, explained one of the expressions of reverence Catholics make in church — genuflection — and why they make this sign.

In a video posted on X, the cardinal commented that this past St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, a woman who stopped to talk to him after Mass told him that, although she is not Catholic, she loves the Church and enjoys attending Mass but doesn’t understand the various postures people take. The cardinal then decided to explain them to his viewers, beginning with genuflection.

“Here’s the first posture that we Catholics always do. When we come into church, we look for the tabernacle, where the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is reposed, and we genuflect!” the archbishop of New York explained.

“We go down on one knee. We genuflect. Why? That’s the ancient sign of adoration, the ancient sign of esteem, the ancient sign of worship,” he continued.

The cardinal pointed out that “when you hear the name of Jesus, every knee on earth and in heaven should bend, as St. Paul taught. That’s genuflection — we do it to Jesus, really and truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament.”

“I’m afraid that beautiful tradition of genuflection to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament may have faded a little," that cardinal noted. “We can’t let that happen; it’s a great act of devotion.”

In conclusion, Dolan recalled that “St. Thomas Aquinas said: ‘You know what? Satan doesn’t have knees because he genuflects to no one.’ Well we do. We genuflect to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.”

No. 274 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal specifies “a genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the holy cross” on Good Friday.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.