Italy Pope spends anniversary of his election in hospital
Pope Francis began the anniversary of his election as head of the Catholic Church after a "quiet" night in hospital.
13.03.2025, 11:15
SDA
This was announced by the Vatican in the morning. This Thursday marks exactly twelve years since Francis was elected pontiff to succeed the German Pope Benedict XVI, real name Joseph Ratzinger.
Following the completely unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI in 2013, the then Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the new pope in the conclave on March 13 of the same year in the fifth ballot. The anniversary of the election is a public holiday in the Vatican, but there are no special events planned in the Papal States.
The 88-year-old Francis has been receiving treatment at the Gemelli Clinic in Rome for almost four weeks. He is suffering from bilateral pneumonia. According to the doctors treating him at the clinic, Francis has been on the road to a slight recovery for several days. However, this is progressing slowly. It is still unclear how long he will have to stay in hospital.
