Friday, February 21st 2025 Established 1905 27 Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown, Guyana Year 120, No. 7
A pilgrim carries a wooden cross during jubilee celebrations in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Feb. 18, 2025, while Pope Francis continues treatment at Rome's Gemelli hospital. The 88-year-old pontiff was hospitalized Feb. 14 after more than a week of suffering from bronchitis and difficulty breathing. (OSV News photo/Guglielmo Mangiapane, Reuters)
(OSV News) - As Pope Francis continues to recover at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Catholics in the pope’s Diocese of Rome and around the world joined in prayer for his health. In a statement on the diocesan website posted Feb. 19, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, said the faithful were following “the
health condition of our bishop, Pope Francis, with attention and confidence. “Aware of how precious community prayer is, we ask all parishes and communities of religious life to hold an hour of silent adoration before” the celebration of Mass, Cardinal Reina said. “As one big family we ask that the Lord give our bishop the strength he needs
to face this delicate moment.” In the pope’s native Argentina, Catholics flocked to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires, the diocese then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio led before his 2013 election, and other parishes to pray for the pontiff’s health. In a letter sent to Pope Francis Feb. 17, on behalf of the archdiocese’s Catholics, Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva prayed for his recovery “so that strengthened, you can continue to serve the church throughout the world in the exercise of the ministry that God himself has entrusted to you and that you carry out with such love and dedication.” Archbishop Cuerva said that while the pope continues his recovery at Gemelli, prayers for the pope’s health and intentions would be said “in all the celebrations of the Eucharist during these days.” “We entrust you to the Blessed Virgin, in the indelible memory of the days when you were the bishop of the flock that lives in this city,” he wrote. Catholics in Argentina’s Villa 31, a slum Pope Francis would often visit to celebrate Mass when he led the archdiocese, also joined in prayer for their former bishop. Speaking (please turn to page 10)
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55th Republic Anniversary
Bishop’s Engagements Saturday, February 22nd Travel to Suriname to attend Diocesan Provincial Meeting Friday, February 28th Return to Guyana I will be away from the Diocese during the period February 22nd to 28th and in my absence Reverend Ronald Fernandes, SJ, Vicar General will attend to matters on my behalf.
Francis Alleyne OSB