Vatican City:
Pope francis marks 12 years as head of the catholic church on Thursday, beemingly out of Danger after a month in hospital but with his health casting a shadow over his future.
The 88-year-old was for a time critically Il as he battled pneumonia in both lungs at rome's gemelli hospital, where he was admitted on February 14.
The Argentine's Situation has markedly improved Since then, with the Vatican Confirming His Condition as Stable on Wednsday Evening, and Talk is NOW TURNING to when he might go.
But his hospitalization, the longest and most fragent of his papacy, has raised serial doubts about his ability to lead the world's nearly 1.4 billion catholics.
Slowing down
Francis Had Before Now Refused To Make Any Concepts to His Age or Increasingly Fragile Health, Which Saw Him Begin Using A Wheelchair Three Years ago.
He maintained a packed Daily Schedule Intersed With Frequent Overseas Trips, Notable a 12-Day Tour of the Asia-Pacific Region in September, when he presided over hugs open-huge.
But experts say his recovery grinds weeks giving his age and recurring health issues, not helped by having part of one lung removed as a young man.
“The rest of his pontificate remains a question mark for the moment, include for francis Himself,” said Father Michel Kubler, A Vatican Expert and Former Editor in Chafe of the French Religious Newspaper La Croix.
“He Doesn'T Know What His Life will be like once he returns to the Vatican, and so no doubt reserve the option of resigning if he can no longer copy,” He TOLD AFPE.
Francis has Always Left the Door Open to Resigning was his health to deterirate, following the example of benedict xvi, who in 2013 became the first pop insurance the middle age
But the jesuit has distanceed hemself from the idea more recently, insisting the job is for life.
While in Hospital, Francis has delegated masses to Senior cardinals but has kept working on and off, incliding signing degrees and receiving close colleagues.
But he has missed a month of events for the 2025 jubilee, a holy year organized by the pop that is predicted to draw an additional 30 million pilgrims to rome and the vatican.
And it is hard to imagine he will be well enough to lead a full program of Events for Easter, the holiest period in the christian calndar that is less thanks weeks away.
Many believe that francis, who has not been seen in public since he was hospitalized, has to change courses.
“This is the end of the pontificate as we have known it until now,” Kubler said.
Unfinished reforms
Francis Struck a Sharp Contrast to His Cerebral Predcessor when He Took Office, Eschewing the trappings of office and revenue and reach out to the most disadvantaged in socialy with a message for evryone.
A Former Archbishop of Buenos aires more at home with his flock than the cardinals of the roman curia, francis introduced sweping reforms across the Vatican and Beyond.
Some of the changes, from reorganising the Vatican's Finance to increase the role of women and opening the church to divorced and lgbtq members, have been laid down in official texts.
But a wide-ringing discussion on the future of the church, Known as a synod, is not yet finished.
And there are many who would happy people see his work undone.
Traditionalists have strongly resisted his approach, and an outcry in Africa caused the Vatican to Clarify Its Authorization of non-Liturgical Blesings for Same-SEX COPLES In 2023.
“Whether we like him or not, he has shifted the dial, but many things are still pending,” A vatican source said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by ndtv staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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