Pope Making Expected Clinical Progress & Gradually Resuming Work in Hospital

18 June, 2026

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

10 July, 2021

2 min

Pope Making Expected Clinical Progress & Gradually Resuming Work in Hospital

Celebrated Mass in Private Chapel, Dined With Those Assisting Him

Pope on return flight from Iraq - Copyright: Vatican Media

Pope Francis is making expected clinical progress and is gradually resuming work from the hospital.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, shared this in an update he communicated in today’s July 10 statement.

Tomorrow, the Pontiff will follow in the tradition of Francis’ predecessor, Pope St. John Paul II, who on various occasions prayed the Angelus from the Roman hospital known for caring for popes on its 10th floor.

In Bruni’s statement, he noted the Pope’s Friday was calm, with the expected clinical progress. “His blood tests are satisfactory and he is continuing the prescribed treatment.”

“He is gradually resuming work and continues to stroll in the corridor of the apartment,” he shared.

In the afternoon, the Holy Father also celebrated Mass in the private chapel and in the evening, had dinner with those assisting him during these days.

“The Holy Father, experiencing first-hand the human dedication of the medical and health personnel assisting him, has addressed a special thought to all those showing care and compassion to the suffering and engaging in a personal relationship with the most fragile and vulnerable.”

In these days, Pope Francis has expressed his closeness to children with cancer or going in for brain surgery, as well as to all who suffer.

On Wednesday afternoon, in a message, the Pope “expressed his paternal closeness to the young patients in the nearby pediatric oncology and children’s neurosurgery wards, sending them his affectionate greetings.”

Statements have confirmed that the Pope is continuing with good and satisfactory progress and acknowledged that the final histological examination “confirmed a severe diverticular stenosis with signs of sclerosing diverticulitis.”

Here is the Vatican-provided English statement given by Matteo Bruni in today’s noon bulletin, providing the most recent update on the Pope:

***

Pope Francis’ day was calm, with the expected clinical progress. His blood tests are satisfactory and he is continuing the prescribed treatment.

He is gradually resuming work and continues to stroll in the corridor of the apartment.

In the afternoon, he celebrated Holy Mass in the private chapel and in the evening he dined with those who are assisting him during these days.

The Holy Father, experiencing first-hand the human dedication of the medical and health personnel assisting him, has addressed a special thought to all those showing care and compassion to the suffering and engaging in a personal relationship with the most fragile and vulnerable.

[Vatican-provided official statement]

Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Editorial Director & Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for EXAUDI (& Prior, for ZENIT); Author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/