Pope Francis recently went through a bit of a health scare ahead of his Apostolic Journey to Hungary. On Wednesday, 29 March, he experienced breathing difficulties after his weekly public audience in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City. He was taken to Gemelli Polyclinic, a large general hospital in Rome, where he was treated for bronchitis.
His Holiness received antibiotics through intravenous injection, as the public statement by the Vatican claimed, and his condition soon turned for the better. Recently, he also had some trouble with a knee injury, which was attended to by a doctor working for the professional football club Atletico Madrid back in November.
The pope was thankfully released from hospital care on Saturday, 1 April.
He seemed to be in a cheery mood as he was greeted by reporters upon his discharge. The next day, he gave his Palm Sunday mass, back in St Peter’s Square, inside the Basilica this time. There, he talked about the suffering of the crucified Jesus.
Evidently, Holy Week is a busy time for the pope. He is set to appear at the Casa del Marmo juvenile detention centre on Thursday evening, after another Holy Mass at St Peter’s Basilica in the morning. At the same venue, he will be presiding over a celebration for the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday. Next, he’ll be participating in the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening; then he’ll be giving his public Easter Mass on St Peter’s Square on Sunday. On Easter Monday, His Holiness will be praying the Angelus at noon from the window of the Apostolic Palace.
Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Hungary will be taking place between 28–30 April 2023.
Thankfully, his health condition will probably not be hindering his visit to our nation. Even Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, a member of the recently renamed opposition party Dialogue-Greens (Párbeszéd-Zöldek), expressed his excitement about the Papal Visit to the Hungarian capital.
Meanwhile, a group of ninth-grade students from St Joseph High School in Debrecen are reportedly preparing a special song for His Holiness. They are planning on performing it for him at the Papp László Budapest Sports Arena on 29 April, where the pope will be meeting with thousands of students from all across Hungary.
