Pope Francis held the first Angelus of the month
in front of 20,000 faithful in St. Peter's Square. In the prayer he considered the high number of children in situations of social exclusion, but encouraged young people to have children and welcome the gift of life.
POPE FRANCIS
Today, Italy is celebrating the Day for Life, on the theme “Transmitting Life, Hope for the World.” I join the Italian bishops in expressing gratitude to the many families who gladly welcome the gift of life and in encouraging young couples not to be afraid to bring children into the world.
The World Summit of Children's Rights was also held at the Vatican earlier this month. Queen Rania of Jordan and the FIFA President were in attendance, among others. Francis emphasized the struggles for children around the world like hunger or wars.
The highlight of February was Pope Francis' health concerns. The first sign of his respiratory issues took place on February 5, when a cold prevented the pontiff from reading the weekly catechesis.
POPE FRANCIS
I want to apologize because with this severe cold it is difficult for me to speak. That is why I asked my brother to read the catechesis. He will read it better than me.
It then escalated when the Vatican confirmed Francis had bronchitis and his meetings were being moved from the Apostolic Palace to Casa Santa Marta.
I am sick. I have a very bad bronchitis.
The Pope's health seemed stable for nearly a week until February 14, when he was admitted to the hospital for tests. It was revealed he had a polymicrobial infection in his respiratory tract.
The situation was delicate, so the pope remained at the Gemelli. On February 19, new tests revealed bilateral pneumonia. Several days later he suffered a severe respiratory crisis, requiring Oxygen administration, and was diagnosed with mild kidney failure.
Everything seemed to be going well from there, until he suffered another setback on the last day of the month. The Pope had a bronchospasm, which is a contraction of the bronchi that prevented him from breathing and caused him to vomit, entering his respiratory tract. This ended the optimism of many as he was improving in the days leading up to this respiratory crisis.
JH
