Pope Francis has been in the hospital for 14 days. The 88-year-old pope has long suffered from a series of health issues. However, his most recent hospitalization has been the most severe, leading many to assume the worst. In the last few weeks, the Pontiff has courted controversy by clashing with the Trump administration over immigration.
“The condition of the Holy Father remains critical, but since yesterday evening, he has not experienced any further respiratory crises.” the Vatican reported. “He received two units of concentrated red blood cells with beneficial effects, and his hemoglobin levels have risen. The thrombocytopenia remains stable; however, some blood tests show early, mild renal insufficiency, which is currently under control.”
“High-flow oxygen therapy continues through nasal cannulas. The Holy Father remains alert and well-oriented,” the report stated. “The complexity of the clinical situation and the necessary time for the pharmacological treatments to show results require that the prognosis remain guarded. This morning, in the apartment on the tenth floor, he participated in the Holy Mass, together with those who have been taking care of him during these days of hospitalization.”
“All of this seems to me to be unfounded speculation. Right now, our focus is on the Holy Father’s health, his recovery, and his return to the Vatican—these are the only things that matter,” said Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. In the past few weeks, Pope Francis has feuded with the Trump administration over proposed changes to immigration policy. Recently, the Pontiff attacked Vice President JD Vance. Vance made a statement based on historical Catholic thinking, positing that we owe more to our country’s citizens than to illegal immigrants.
“There’s this old school, and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way, that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country. And then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world,” Vance said. “A lot of the far left has completely inverted that they seem to hate the citizens of their own country and care more about people outside their own borders.”
“That is no way to run a society. And I think the profound difference that Donald Trump brings to the leadership of this country is that the simple concept America first,” he added. It doesn’t mean you hate anybody else. It means that you have leadership, and President Trump has been very clear about this that puts the interests of American citizens first.”
Vance went on to say, “In the same way that the British Prime Minister should care about Brits and the French should care about the French, we have an American president who cares primarily about Americans, and that’s a very welcome change.” In response to this quote, Francis fired back at Vice President Vance’s well-reasoned argument.
“Christians know very well that it is only by affirming the infinite dignity of all that our own identity as persons and as communities reaches its maturity,” the Pope replied. ” Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. In other words: The human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings!“
He added, “The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in his identity and vocation. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ (cf. Lk 10:25-37), that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”