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LAST UPDATE | 25 Feb
THE VATICAN HAS said that Pope Francis remains in a “critical condition” but that he is “stable”.
An update was issued this evening which said that no acute respiratory episodes have occurred and that Francis’s blood levels continue to be stable.
Francis has also had a CT scan for radiological monitoring of his bilateral pneumonia and the “prognosis remains reserved”, according to the Vatican.
Meanwhile, Francis approved the canonisation of two new saints from his hospital bed, after he “rested well all night long”.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who is being treated for pneumonia in both lungs, has striven to keep up with Church matters during his stay in hospital, as believers across the globe gathered to pray for him.
After a statement last night said Francis was showing a “slight improvement”, the Vatican said this afternoon that he had received the Vatican’s secretary of state the day before, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and his number two, Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra.
Francis approved the canonisation of two Venezuelan and Italian laymen who died in the early 20th century, while authorising the first steps towards sainthood for three 19th century priests from Spain, Italy and Poland, the Vatican said.
In a statement yesterday, the Vatican said there had been “no new respiratory crises” and that “some lab tests have improved”, adding that the pope had ”resumed his work activities” in the afternoon.
The Vatican also noted that Francis called Gaza’s only Catholic parish to express his closeness – since 9 October 2023, two days after the bombings began in Gaza, Francis has been in daily contact with the Holy Family Church.
Today marks the twelfth day that the pontiff will have spent in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the longest hospitalisation of his papacy. He was admitted to the hospital on 14 February with breathing difficulties.
He was initially diagnosed with bronchitis, but this developed into pneumonia in both lungs, and on Saturday night, the Vatican said for the first time that his condition was critical.
Last night, thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square to pray for the pope.
Those gathered expressed sorrow for his suffering, hope for his recovery and gratitude for his efforts to steer the Catholic Church in new directions.
As Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s No 2, led prayers for 45 minutes on a chilly, rainy night, the faithful fingered rosary beads while hoping for Francis’ recovery.
Still, the mood was mostly grim in the monumental square, with many of the roughly 4,000 assembled understanding they may be in Rome for Francis’ final days.
Crowds sat under umbrellas on folding chairs or stood by the vast colonnades as they reflected fondly on the pontiff’s legacy.
Roberto Allison, a priest from the Mexican state of Guadalajara, said members of his community had come together to show appreciation for “all that we have learned from him”.
Stopping to deliver personal blessings to some at the end of the ceremony, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said the crowd’s diversity – many world languages could be heard spoken – was “a big sign of comfort” for the Catholic Church.
A couple of Catholic tourists from Chicago, who arrived holding umbrellas well before the service started, said they prayed for the pope at daily Mass earlier at St Peter’s Basilica and decided to come back.
Like many, they found it “hard to process” they may be in Rome for Francis’ final days.
“No one knows the day and time, but it’s a historic moment nonetheless,” said Edward Burjek.
It felt the same for Hatzumi Villanueva of Peru. She was particularly fond of former pope St John Paul II but said that Francis, as the first Latin American pope, “draws a bit closer”.
“We came to pray for the pope, that he may recover soon, for the great mission he’s sharing with his message of peace,” said Villanueva, who praised his empathy for migrants.
Francis’ papacy has also emphasised the defence of the environment and partial openness to LGBTQ+ rights.
Outside of the Vatican, Romans, pilgrims and even non-Catholics said they were offering special prayers for the pope.
“We are all sorry,” said Raniero Mancinelli, who has tailored ceremonial clothing for Francis and the two previous popes in his shop just outside the Vatican’s walls.
Francis’s continued hospitalisation has sparked widespread concern, and fuelled speculation about whether he might step down.
He has always left the door open to following his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pope since the Middle Ages to resign. But he has repeatedly said it was not the time.
With reporting from Press Association
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Parental alienation, fathers rights and some form tax relief for unmarried fathers paying maintenance should also be enforced, still I don’t know how some parents can sleep at night not paying their share.
@Dean Burroughs: why should anyone get tax relief on paying maintenance?
@Louise Tracey: what’s your objection to tax relief on maintenance payments… That’s a strange one..
@Dean Burroughs: don’t think it’s strange at all. Parents who do support their kids and are still in the relationship (married or not) don’t get tax relief on their financial input. Why should ones who pay maintenance???
It’s that mother’s who don’t work get a tax credit for the child but don’t use it as they get paid off the social while the dad that pays maintenance doesn’t get to use the credit. If Ur a married couple u can claim your husband or wifes tax credits if they aren’t working so y can’t dad use the credit as Well
@Laura Crawford: He can use the credit. The credit can be signed over to him. The stipulations for this are on the revenue website.
@Alan Leahy: I know a girl whose holding her ex to ransom over the credit refusing to sign it over unless he pays more maintenance. She’s minding kids from her house cash in hand. She shouldn’t have a choice if she’s not working the credit should automatically transfer to the other parent
@Dean Burroughs: dean, can I get tax relief on the money I pay out for my kids or must I be separate first?
I think I read some time back how this works… The maintenance payment is split by the court into an allocation for the child and some for the parent (mother in the following example). So, if 75% of a monthly payment of 400 is allocated to the child then the father pays income tax on that 300, but not the remaining 25% which goes to the mother. That 100 is treated as income for the mother and is subject to normal income tax rules for her.
@Ana Nonymous: the maximum a court will give as maintenance is €400 per month. Ever try raring a child on €400 per month? That’s if you even get it. No one is interested in helping you if the father doesn’t pay. You live in a country where women are forced to give birth and then criticize them for trying to earn as much money to raise their kids!
A parent who literally abandons their child (children) should be held totally responsible by the state.
@TheBluffmaster2: in Germany unless the fathers name and pops number is stated on the birth cert a mother can not get children’s allowance from the state.
This allows the state to recoup the cost of raising the child from the father.
A simple thing to do can’t understand why we don’t do it here.
@Theunpopularpopulist: It’s a legal requirement to have the fathers name on the birth certificate here so we do it already.
@Catherine Sims: you can refuse here and you’re not penalised for doing so. Tie it to social welfare then they’ll list the name.
But what’s the penalty for parents that don’t pay? Where both parents are living, both should pay. No excuses.
@john Appleseed: but no one will implement it. I know someone who had a judgement for child support against a guy and he refused. She went back to court and he didn’t appear. A warrant was issued and even though she reported to the Guards when he was in his mothers to go and arrest him they said they were too busy. Eventually she went down to the station and insisted and they arrested him. He was sentenced to a month in Mountjoy and released after three hours due to overcrowding. He still hasn’t paid a penny.
@john Appleseed: +1
And what about parents who don’t pay for children under the age of 7 who chose not to work etc….
Is there anything for those in that category. Or is it just a case of there no real ramifications for not supporting your child?
Is there a penalty to stop one parent to not allow the other parent see their children too?
@gjpb: Yes, go to court and get an order for visitation. If the parent with custody breaks this order then bring them back to court. The penalty is a fine and/or prison.
@gjpb: of course there is.
@gjpb: it’s not fit for purpose. Anyone denying a child it’s father should have custody removed in my opinion
@Alan Leahy: It’s never enforced, the mother of my child broke court agreed access 100% and admitted it to the judge and laughed…..the judge did nothing.
There;s a growing industry in Ireland in keeping kids alienated from their parents.
I’m paying maintenance and I don’t see my children anybody who don’t see there children should not pay maintenance FF would want to look at the judge’s and the family court it’s a joke sending a father to jail because they don’t have the money to pay it father’s have no rights FF would want to look at the rights of father’s first before looking for money every mother and FATHER have a right to see there kids
@Fran O’Keeffe: how come you don’t see your kids? Why don’t you go back to court? It’s a child’s right to know BOTH their parents.
@Deborah ….the courts refuse to penalize mothers who break court ordered access, its a joke!
I’m paying maintenance and I don’t see my children FF would want to look at the judges and father’s rights first family court is a joke
@Fran O’Keeffe: Why don’t you see your children.
@Alan Leahy: It’s called parental alienation and it’s growing. There are no laws in this country that recognise it unlike the UK.
@Fran O’Keeffe: It isn’t the childs fault that parents split up, however it is right for the father to want to give that child a decent upbringing rather than just walk away.
@Alan Leahy: because my xwife told lies instead of bringing the children into court and asking them what they would like
@Fran O’Keeffe: Family court was always a joke, my granny and father looked after me and my sibling as they always did without any contact from my mother but she always had the child allowance book and kept that money for herself. Then when we were teens my mother then wanted visiting rights and she got them with a payment of 25 pounds a week to cover expenses from my father. She was the one earning more than my father and it was my father who looked after us without a single look or penny from her. All she wanted visiting rights for was to show us off to her friends to back up her lies as she was a bitter woman. The judges are eejits and they haven’t a clue about sly parents or how dysfunctional families behave…
@Fran O’Keeffe: sounds like a pile of poo to me, no judge is gonna deny a father seeing their kids (or vice verse) without genuine reason…. You need to keep talking here and explain… And yes you should explain as you brought it up.
@Alan Madden: Yes they will, they might make orders granting access and use scary words to try to get mothers to give access but they never enforce the rulings no jail or fines on mothers, its common knowledge fathers have no rights in Ireland.
Pay up or get out of the bed.
A Wedding to follow once a child turns 7 years, may be the norm…
Always laws to chase maintenance, but of course in Ireland they’d never dream of tackling Parental Alienation Syndrome ….they never enforce access arrangements.
Abusing children is worth too much money to them
And again it will be a mess when they get round to sorting it out as everything becomes a mess when these people try to fix anything?
God I wish Willy would shave off that moustache.
He reminds of someone. You know you’re man from Germany! I think he’s dead now though.
@gerry fallon: I thought it was a hairy Mary lol.
have your say