Mois : mars 2025

Pope Francis’ medical team has increased the pontiff’s respiratory physiotherapy and active motor therapy as his doctors seek to ramp up his recovery from double pneumonia, the Vatican said on March 5.  

« The Holy Father also remained stationary today without presenting episodes of respiratory failure, » said a Vatican statement released at 7:25 p.m. local time. 

The medical bulletin also noted that the pontiff spent the day in an armchair and engaged in work activities. The pope’s « active motor therapy » (or physiotherapy) is aimed to assist the pontiff’s movements after spending much of the last three weeks in a hospital bed. 

As has been the case since the beginning of his hospitalization, the pontiff’s prognosis « remains guarded, » meaning he is not yet out of danger. 

The pope has alternated between a mechanical ventilator and high-flow oxygen therapy over the last 72 hours and a similar course of treatment is expected over the next 24 hours. 

Today (March 5) marks the 88-year-old pontiff’s 20th day in hospital and the positive developments come right at the start of Lent, a time in which Catholics around the world are called to prayer, fasting and charitable works in the lead up to Easter. 

Six miles away from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican’s Ash Wednesday service proceeded as planned at the Basilica of Santa Sabina.

At the start of the Mass, Cardinal Aneglo De Donatis — who served as the pope’s delegate —  acknowledged Francis’ absence and encouraged Catholics to join in prayer for the ailing pontiff.

« We feel deeply united with him in this moment, and we thank him for the offering of his prayer and his sufferings for the good of the entire church and the whole world, » said De Donatis.

On a day in the church calendar where Catholics are reminded « from dust we were created, and to dust we shall return, » the somber ceremony only seemed to be further punctuated by having a hospitalized pontiff unable to take part in the liturgy. 

Even so, the Vatican said on March 5 that the pope was able to participate in a private rite of blessing of the Holy Ashes, which he received, along with the Eucharist.  The pope also phoned Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family church in Gaza, which he has called almost nightly since the start of Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip.

A rosary prayer service will take place tonight in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s health and recovery, as it has now for the last nine evenings. Italian Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, will preside at the service.

In a new interview, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski — who led the March 2 rosary service — said the nightly vigils will continue « until the pope returns to the Vatican. »

Catholics, like Vice President JD Vance, who criticize Pope Francis for being too political, claim they long for the days of Pope John Paul II. But the truth is, they did not listen to John Paul when he challenged their political views.

When John Paul celebrated Mass in Yankee Stadium in New York on Oct. 2, 1979, he preached on the Gospel story of the rich man and Lazarus.

The rich man was « dressed in purple and linen and feasted splendidly every day. At his gate lay a beggar named Lazarus who was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table » (Luke 16:19 ff).

Both men died, with Lazarus going to heaven and the rich man going to hell.

John Paul looked out over the crowd of well-fed Americans and said, « The rich man was condemned because he did not pay attention to the other man. Because he failed to take notice of Lazarus, the person who sat at his door and who longed to eat the scraps from his table. »

John Paul then translated the parable « into contemporary terms — in terms of economy and politics, in terms of all human rights, in terms of relations between the ‘first’, ‘second’ and ‘third world.' »

« We cannot stand idly by when thousands of human beings are dying of hunger, » he said. « We cannot stand idly by, enjoying our own riches and freedom, if, in any place, the Lazarus of the 20th century stands at our doors. In the light of the parable of Christ, riches and freedom mean a special responsibility. Riches and freedom create a special obligation. »

The message was clear: America, you are the rich man. You must care for the Lazaruses at your door.

When rich men like President Donald Trump and Elon Musk close the United States Agency for International Development and eliminate foreign assistance programs, they are ignoring Lazarus. They are consigning him and millions like him to starvation. They are abandoning refugees who have fled persecution, wars and famine. They are stopping medical care for the sick. They are allowing plagues like Ebola, monkeypox and HIV/AIDS to spread unchecked.

This will be devastating to poor countries, but it will also hurt America. 

We will lose respect among allies and lose friends among those we help. Desperate refugees will turn to radical leaders like ISIS, or they will try to immigrate to the U.S. or Europe. Nor will plagues respect borders if we do not help control them where they start.

John Paul also cited the account of the Last Judgment as found in Saint Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus says, « I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was away from home and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing. I was ill and in prison and you did not come and comfort me, » (Mt 25 :42-43).

Trump and Musk claim cutting foreign aid will help them balance the federal budget, but foreign aid is only 1.2% of annual federal spending, and much of this money is spent in the U.S. on agricultural products. Buying from farmers closer to those in need would be more efficient since the food would not have to be shipped long distances, but it would alienate American farmers who would lose these sales. Now, those farmers have their aid threatened as well. Conservative Christians, including the Catholic bishops, allied themselves with Republicans because overturning Roe v. Wade was their preeminent priority. Once this was accomplished, Trump became more pro-choice, saying he will leave abortion to the states and supporting federal funding for IVF.

Was overturning Roe worth the cost? The actual impact on the number of abortions is unclear. Abortion supporters have won almost every referendum on state ballots since Roe was overturned. Abortions continue at high numbers.

Trump, Musk and Vance are not only rejecting the teachings of Francis, they are rejecting the teachings of John Paul. They are rejecting the teachings of Jesus.

Christian leaders need to be prophetic like Francis, John Paul and Jesus in calling us to be Good Samaritans to those who need help.

« Conclave, » the political thriller detailing the process of the same name to select a new pope, may have walked away with only one Oscar win; still, it is evident the film’s themes about embracing doubt amid uncertainty and using one’s platform to speak against injustices will have staying power long after Hollywood’s biggest night.

Director Edward Berger’s papal thriller starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini was nominated for eight Academy Awards: Best Picture, Actor (Fiennes), Supporting Actress (Rossellini), Original Score, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design and Adapted Screenplay, which it won.

Peter Straughan’s script was up against « A Complete Unknown, » « Emilia Pérez, » « Nickel Boys » and « Sing Sing. » This marks the first win for Straughan, who was previously nominated for 2011’s « Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. » In his acceptance speech, Straughan thanked his team and Berger, as well as the book author, Robert Harris.

Since its release, the internet has found « Conclave » quite meme-able, and the Oscars only solidified the fact. Host Conan O’Brien warned the nominees that if their speeches go too long the camera would cut to something « much more powerful »: John Lithgow looking « not angry, but slightly disappointed. » Lithgow’s expression then started trending on social media throughout the night, often when there were awkward or frustrating moments in the show itself. NCR’s own Olivia Bardo used the Lithgow meme in frustration when Hulu, which was broadcasting the Academy Awards ceremony, cut the livestream.

More seriously, speeches throughout the night were marked with comments about the uncertain and tumultuous times, from Best Director winner Sean Baker urging audiences to support movie theaters, especially independent ones, to a tribute to the firefighters who helped battle the fires of Eaton and Palisades in Southern California. 

But the most poignant speech of the night came from directors Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, whose film « No Other Land, » which focuses on Israel’s violence against the Palestinian people of Masafer Yatta in a southern area of West Bank, won Best Documentary.

« About two months ago, I became a father, » Adra shared. « My hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions, and forcible displacements that the community … is facing. We call upon the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. »

« When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal, » said Abraham. « We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life. … There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people … and the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path. »

It was the type of vital and open cry from the stage that both celebrated the great art of the past year and acknowledged there is much more work to do. I couldn’t help but think of a line from « Conclave » spoken by Cardinal Benítez (Carlos Diehz) to his infighting fellow cardinals. « These last few days we have shown ourselves to be small and petty men. We have seemed concerned only with ourselves, with Rome, with these elections, with power. But these things are not the church. The church is not a tradition. The church is not the past. The church is what we do next. »

Between Epiphany and Mardi Gras, people all over the world eat King Cake. Whether simply because it tastes good or because people love holiday traditions, the King Cake is beloved.

Before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, people traditionally eat foods like pancakes, doughnuts and King Cake to prepare for the Lenten season by using all rich ingredients not needed for the next 40 days.

The King Cakes, twisted into rings and covered with white icing and purple, green and yellow sprinkles, are so culturally significant that they are widely available in bakeries and stores. 

I remember the first time I had a King Cake. I was working in Washington, D.C., celebrating Mardi Gras in a cold park so my coworkers and I could remain socially distanced during the COVID pandemic. As someone explained the symbolism of the cake, I dug into its rich layers of cinnamon filling peeking out from ribbons of icing and colored sprinkles. Then, someone excitedly waved around a tiny plastic baby plucked from their slice.

Even though I didn’t have any previous knowledge of King Cake or its history, I could tell there was something special about it.

« I think having all of this additional fun and ritual and tradition and communal celebration around it is part of what makes it so much more than even just like a birthday cake or any other kind of cake that has traditional meaning, » said baker and theologian Kendall Vanderslice.

She told NCR that a huge part of the excitement around King Cake is the lore surrounding the treat. « It’s a great avenue through which we can tell the story of the church, » she said.

While there are several kinds of King Cake, the Louisiana style is the most traditional and recognizable. With a brioche-like texture, it is more of a sweet roll than an actual cake.

The sprinkles, in the traditional colors of Mardi Gras, hold their own meaning: purple for justice, green for faith and yellow for power. The circular shape represents our connectedness as a church and community. 

Hidden inside the cake is a small plastic baby. If the baby is found in your slice of cake, you are then crowned king or queen for the day. It also means that next year, it’s your duty to supply the cake. 

Vanderslice, who lives in Durham, North Carolina, said King Cake is part of a global tradition that developed over hundreds of years.

The celebrations surrounding King Cake originated somewhere in France, around the 12th or 13th centuries, likely coinciding with other festivals that were taking place regionally.

Today, the celebrations surrounding King Cake coincide with the Carnival festival and are celebrated all over the world. Here, our religious and cultural celebrations intertwine. Carnival is a time for dramatic excess and the disregard for order. It is a time of extravagant costumes, celebrations and eating. The celebration is intertwined with the liturgical period between Epiphany and Lent. It is a time to be wonderfully joyful and excessive before entering into a period of fasting.

The celebration begins at Epiphany and follows the story of the three kings arriving to worship infant Jesus as their true ruler. King Herod, fearful and enraged that a small child could hold so much power and significance, decided to invoke wrath across the land.

Throughout the Lenten season, the emphasis is on the reversal of roles and expectations. King Cake is symbolic of that reversal that continues to resonate with people.

« We also have this very tangible reminder that ultimately God is the one with ultimate power and also the way that God was set out that God chose to enter the world is in this very small, simple, subversive way, and we also can navigate life in these very small, simple, subversive ways, » Vanderslice said.

The King Cake’s ring shape is also a reminder that we’re all connected. As Vanderslice said: « You wouldn’t just buy and eat a King Cake on your own. It’s meant to be eaten in community. » 

Pope Francis is now in stable condition and he is not showing any signs of an infection following a serious setback on Friday during his ongoing hospitalization for double pneumonia, the Vatican said Saturday evening 

« The Holy Father is without fever and shows no leukocytosis, » according to a Vatican statement released at 6:45 p.m local time on March 1.

Leukocytosis is a condition of high white blood cell count, which would indicate an infection. 

The 88-year-old pontiff, who has been hospitalized for 16 days, the longest hospitalization of his pontificate, experienced a bronchial spasm on Friday that caused him to vomit. Doctors are now monitoring Francis closely to see if the episode leads to further infection. 

The Vatican also said on Saturday evening that the pope had not experienced any new respiratory crises and that he alternated between noninvasive mechanical ventilation and high-flow oxygen therapy throughout the day.

The pope’s blood pressure also remains stable, according to the Vatican’s Saturday evening medical bulletin, 

The pontiff, who is being treated at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, spent the day « actively collaborating » in respiratory physiotherapy and continues to eat normally.

Yesterday’s bronchial spasm did not affect the pope’s other organs, according to Vatican sources.

Francis’ prognosis remains « reserved, » meaning that he is not out of danger yet, as his doctors continue to monitor his recovery from pneumonia and assess whether there was any long term damage that resulted from the Feb. 28 bronchial spasm.

The text of the pope’s weekly Sunday Angelus prayer will be published tomorrow, March 2, but Francis will not deliver it. This marks the third Sunday in a row that the pontiff has not been able to lead the weekly prayer, setting a new record.

A Vatican organized rosary prayer service for the pope’s health and recovery will continue on Saturday night for the fifth evening in a row. Dozens of Rome-based cardinals have been joining together in prayer with Roman curia officials and lay faithful.

Tonight’s service — which has been moved from St. Peter’s Square to inside the basilica due to rain in Rome — will be led by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.