Summary and Commentary by Br. Alexis Bugnolo
While many reports are either attacking speculation about Pope Francis’ health, or exaggerating tid-bits of news that various journalists have reported, this report by RAI News, one of the official state channels of the Italian Republic remains substantial, informative and complete. The two new pieces of information are that Pope Francis is breathing on his own without assistance, but does occasionally take some oxygen; and that visitors are prohibited from his room, where he has been confined during his stay, except when he has undergone tests such as a CAT scan of his chest. RAI News also notes that the members of Pope Francis’ medical team have not been named and that security on his floor is light.
In addition, it reports that Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, on his return from his visit to Burkina Faso, which was scheduled 5 months ago, came to visit Pope Francis yesterday afternoon. This is not unusual, as it is his duty to visit the Pontiff upon returning from any assignments. But it can serve and is serving as material for further speculation.
If Pope Francis has decided to renounce, then it makes sense that he inform his Secretary of State, in person, immediately upon his return from Africa. And seeing that Parolin has been there since Pope Francis went into hospital, if Pope Francis has made any important decisions, Cardinal Parolin would need to be informed as soon as possible. But as the Left Wing Media in Italy are still insisting and shouting that we stop drawing conclusions from such tid-bits of news, we can be sure that something is going on.
Many reports are pushing the narrative that Pope Francis is a workaholic and that without rest he will only get worse, but that it is intolerable for him not to be at his job, in the spot light. And the Vatican spokesman still has given no indications of when or if Pope Francis will return to the Vatican. So he certainly is not showing signs of substantial improvement.
The internet is being flooded, however, by fake news produced by AI like channels which are seeking as much of the attention of Catholics the world over, regarding the Pope. And left wing News Outlets in Italy are offering combative articles with paywalls.
The report from RAI News, however, is noteworthy for not saying what the Italian Prime Minister (official title, President of the Council of Ministers) Giorgia Meloni was doing visiting a patient who should not get visitors and why they talked for 20 minutes in private without witnesses or any report as to the content of their meeting other than to say that they joked. — To my knowledge, there is nothing in Italian law which requires the PM to visit a sick pope. And I do not recall – but you can correct me – that any PM ever visited any Pope in hospital. Certainly, Giorgia Meloni’s visit is being framed like a daughter visiting a father, but since that is not what is going on, speculation is apt to abound about the real reason.
