Catholic Bishops in Benin, DR Congo, Mozambique Appeal for Spiritual Solidarity with Pope Francis

They says that the spiritual exercises are in communion with the people of God praying for Pope Francis across the globe. “The entire Church is offering fervent prayers for his intentions, asking God to grant him a speedy recovery,” CEB members say.

Their counterparts in DRC have expressed their “unwavering attachment to the Successor of the Apostle Peter” and shared with him their “compassion and spiritual closeness in this time of suffering.”

In the message dated February 24, which CENCO President, Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of DRC’s Lubumbashi Catholic Archdiocese signed, the Congolese Church leader invites his colleagues “to call upon the faithful of your Dioceses to prayer and to celebrate Mass for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff.”

The appeal for prayers for Pope Francis is “in union with the universal Church,” Archbishop Muteba says, adding that although Holy Father has been ill, he “continues his hospitalization with confidence.”

Earlier, Mozambique’s Catholic Bishops called for personal and “communal prayer” for the recovery of Pope Francis. 

“At this moment, when the Lord has willed that the Holy Father bear the cross of human fragility more closely, let us unite in a communal prayer for the health and well-being of His Holiness, Pope Francis, a plea that rises from all corners of the world,” CEM members said in their February 20 statement. 

They added, “As the Holy Father faces this health challenge, we invite all our parish communities, Institutes of Consecrated Life, and all people of goodwill to accompany him, entrusting him to the loving care of the Lord. May God grant him strength, healing, and a speedy recovery.”

“Let us fervently offer our prayers during Masses, in our homes, and the silence of our hearts, through the intercession of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception,” Mozambique’s Catholic Bishops said in the one-page statement that their Vice President, Archbishop Dom João Carlos Hatoa Nunes of the country’s Maputo Archdiocese, signed.

On Thursday, February 27 morning, the Vatican indicated that the Holy Father had “slept well during the night” and that he was still “resting.”

Earlier Vatican updates on the hospitalized Holy Father indicated that while he continued to be in a serious but stable condition, the 88-year-old Pontiff had not demonstrated any acute respiratory episodes after a “respiratory crisis” on February 22. 

His mild early-stage kidney insufficiency had “subsided”, according to the February 26 Vatican updates. 

After receiving the Eucharist on February 26 morning, Pope Francis “resumed work activities,” the Vatican said.