Pope Francis is dead. “He called us for the last time”

After spending over five weeks in the hospital because of bilateral pneumonia, the doctors told Pope Francis that he needed two months of rest – said Reuters. The superior of 1.4 billion Catholics around the world was to decide that he would work at that time.

On Easter Sunday, the day before his death, 88-year-old Francis appeared for the first time in public for a long time, he entered St. Peter's Square in Biały Papamobile to welcome cheering crowds.

On the same day, for the second time from leaving the hospital on March 23, he met with foreign leaders, among others, he visited his residence USA JD Vance.

“I was happy yesterday that I could meet him, although it was obvious that he was sick,” Vance wrote. “God give peace of his soul,” he added.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and his family also had a short meeting with Francis on Sunday. “It was a short moment, but a very touching, meeting full of kindness, smiles and blessings,” the prime minister said in a statement.

The Reuters agency estimated that “for a person during recovery after a serious illness, Francis worked hard.” Cardinal Michael Czerny, a high -ranking representative Vaticanwho was close to Francis, he said that “Francis does not think irresponsibly overloaded the body.” – Total rest is not healing. The Pope balanced convalescence with work as a bishop of Rome – said Czerny.

Austen Ivereigh, a biographer of Francis, who in 2020 wrote a book with the Pope, said that the Holy Father “listened carefully to the advice of doctors, but his priority was the mission of presence.” – Francis, as Ivereigh said, was “a master of time.” “He made sure that we had the pope for Easter and continued his presence mission to the end,” he added.

Last public speech of the Pope

After returning from the hospital, Franciszek was under the Nurse's constant care – the Vatican informed earlier. The Pope received oxygen at night, and if necessary, also during the day.

During his stay in the hospital, the Pope also used non -invasive mechanical ventilation, consisting in putting on a mask supporting the injection of air into the lungs. The Vatican said that after leaving the hospital, Franciszek no longer used the mask.

During his last public speech on Sunday, Franciszek told the gathered in Saint Peter's Square tens of thousands of faithful only a few words, he wished the Merry Easter in a hoarse voice.

In the traditional Easter message, read by the assistant, Francis repeated his frequent call to suspend weapons in the Gaza Strip, calling the humanitarian situation “worthy of regret”.

The Pope also called on the Palestinian group of Hamas fighters to free the remaining hostages and condemned what he called the “disturbing trend of anti -Semitism in the world.”

The Pope “did not spare”

Father Gabriel Romanelli from the parish in Gaza, to which the Pope called regularly during the war Israel with Hamas, said Vatican News: “The Pope called us for the last time on Saturday evening, shortly before the start of Paschal Christmas Eve, when we refused the rosary. He told us that he was praying for us, blessed us and thanked us for our prayers in his intention.”

When he traveled the square on Sunday with his papamobil, people set up in queues to get closer to it, many kept the national flags high and shouted: “Long live the Pope.” Some offered him children to bless him – said the Reuters agency.

Family Minister Italian Eugenia Roccella said that Francis did his best, to the end. The Pope, as she said in a statement, “decided not to save himself by conveying a message about all his pontificate in his suffering, physical closeness.”