Franco Pisano

"Throughout history, and today too, we often see some movement that preaches the Gospel with its own modality, sometimes with true, proper charisms; but then it exaggerates and reduces the whole Gospel to 'a movement'." Marking one year since the explosion that hit the port of Beirut with a call to the international community to help Lebanon "pave a path of resurrection with concrete gestures, not just words".

"[To do] God's work is to wlcome the One whom the Father has sent, that is, Himself, Jesus. It is not adding religious practices or observing special precepts; it is welcoming Jesus into our lives, living a love story with Him. It is He who will purify our faith".

Francis issues a message for the Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit. In it, he writes that to achieve "the goal of zero hunger, it is not enough to produce food. We need a new mindset and a new holistic approach.” For him, it is a question of "designing food systems that protect the Earth and keep the dignity of the human person at the centre” so as to “ensure sufficient food globally and promote decent work at the local level,” and thus “feed the world today, without compromising the future.”

On the first day of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, Francis said that if young people and elderly don’t meet and talk, “life does not go on.” He lamented the fact that “every day in the world around seven thousand children under the age of five die due to malnutrition”. The pontiff expressed hope that the Olympics can be “a sign of hope and universal brotherhood”. He also called for a prayer for flood victims in China.

The visit includes the conclusion of the International Eucharistic Congress, a divine liturgy in memory of the Greek-Catholic martyrs, a meeting with a representative of the Roma community, as well as a tête-à-tête with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

​"We need an 'ecology of the heart'". "It is not enough to 'unplug', we need to really rest. And to do this, we need to go back to the heart of things: stop, be silent, pray". Closeness to the populations of Germany, Belgium and Holland affected by the floods and to those of South Africa and Cuba wounded by violence.

It is “ever more plain in the words and attitudes of many is the close connection between the choice of celebrations according to the liturgical books prior to Vatican Council II and the rejection of the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the ‘true Church’.” The pontiff bemoans “abuses in the celebration of the liturgy on all sides”.

Before returning he went to Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major where, in front of the icon of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani, he thanked her for the success of his operation. During his stay, the pontiff visited the facility’s paediatric oncology ward.

It is unclear if the pontiff will return tomorrow, as some have suggested. In a statement released yesterday, the Holy See Press Office noted that “In order to optimise his medical and rehabilitation therapy, the Holy Father will remain in hospital for a few more days.”

Pope Francis delivers the Angelus from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. “Why children suffer is a question that touches the heart. Let us accompany them with prayer and pray for all those who are sick, especially those in the most difficult conditions. May no one be left alone, may everyone receive the anointing of listening, closeness, tenderness and care.”

The Pope has no fever. He celebrated Mass, walked for a while, and resumed work, reading some papers. Francis, along with Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, and Moderator Jim Wallace of the Church of Scotland addressed a letter to the leaders of South Sudan on the ten years of their country’s independence.

The Infusion therapy has been suspended. “The final histological examination has confirmed a severe diverticular stenosis with signs of sclerosing diverticulitis.” Greetings have poured in from all over the world.