Cake from staff

Pope celebrates twelfth anniversary in hospital

Pope Francis, who is ill, has been in office for twelve years.(Bild: APA/AFP/Alberto PIZZOLI)

The ailing Pope Francis has spent the twelfth anniversary of his pontificate in hospital. The staff at the "Gemelli" clinic in Rome presented him with a cake with candles. Francis spent Thursday doing breathing exercises and praying, according to the Vatican.

He continues to receive oxygen during the day and is ventilated throughout the night. A chest X-ray on Tuesday confirmed an improvement in his state of health. Since his last respiratory crisis twelve days ago, his condition has stabilized (see video above). Francis has bilateral pneumonia and has been in hospital for almost a month.

On Thursday, the 88-year-old followed the Roman Curia's Lenten retreat via video link, which runs until Friday. The Argentinian replaced the resigned German Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013 and now marked the twelfth anniversary of his election as head of the Church. At the age of 88, he is now the second oldest pontifex maximus in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis in a wheelchair (archive image)(Bild: APA/AFP/Alberto PIZZOLI)

Resignation for health reasons?
To mark the anniversary, a mass was celebrated for the Pope in the "Gemelli" clinic. The Vatican Curia congratulated him in a letter, and messages of recovery and congratulations arrived from all over the world. Francis also received a cake with candles from the hospital staff.

The possibility that Jorge Bergoglio could resign for health reasons is currently being discussed time and again. "That is a possibility, but it depends entirely on the Pope's conscience," said Italian Bishop Giuseppe Baturi, Secretary General of the Italian Bishops' Conference CEI. Only the Pope can decide whether to renounce his office.