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Anxious Prayers as Pope Francis Lingers in Critical Condition

Published

10 months ago

February 25, 2025

Anxious Prayers as Pope Francis Lingers in Critical Condition

Vatican City is an anxious place. Clergy keep their phones by their pillows. Reporters, crammed in the Holy See press office, open emails with trepidation. Faithful have begun to gather expectantly in St. Peter’s Square.

All await terse bulletins from the Vatican on the condition of Pope Francis, who remains critical after being taken to a hospital 11 days ago with bronchitis that developed into pneumonia in both lungs. On Monday afternoon, hours before the Vatican reported a “slight improvement,” the phones of Vatican officials buzzed with texts falsely reporting Francis’ death.

Francis, who now has the beginnings of kidney failure and infections, may yet recover. On Tuesday night, the Vatican said Francis was in “critical but stable” condition. In its nightly medical bulletin, the Vatican said he underwent a follow-up CT scan in the afternoon to check the lung infection, and that he had resumed his “work activities” in the morning.

For veterans of papal transitions, the daily health bulletins, the influx of global media, the rampant speculation and the special prayer services have a familiar and ominous feel.

“These are delicate moments,” said Duban Corredor, a 27-year-old seminarian from Colombia, who came to St. Peter’s Square on Monday night to pray the rosary for Francis, who he noted had always concluded his conversations and remarks with an appeal to “pray for me.”

The seminarian said he had assisted Francis during a Christmas Eve prayer service and saw him deeply tired, but also at peace. “I don’t think it will be long — I think he’s preparing for a moment of tranquillity, knowing that this is the end of his life.”

On a damp Monday evening, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s second-in-command, who is a fixture in the increasing speculation about who might replace Francis, led cardinals, bishops and a few thousand faithful in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in a rosary prayer for the pope’s health.

Under an intermittent drizzle, the cardinal knelt before a portrait of the Madonna and child and addressed the crowd, made up largely of priests, nuns and pilgrims.

“For 2,000 years the Christian people have prayed for the pope when he was in danger or sick,” said Cardinal Parolin, adding that now the time had come to pray for Francis “in this moment of illness and trial.”

Francis is the 266th pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church, and for much of the church’s history, especially when the papacy acted as a monarchy directly and indirectly governing large swaths of land, the death of a pope could transform the fortunes of powerful aristocrats, change the direction of a powerful state, or even determine where the church had its headquarters.

“The upheaval that follows the death of the pope today is incomparably different from what might have happened” centuries ago, said Agostino Paravicini Bagliani, a church historian. He said that in some cases a pope’s death would be kept a secret, for fear that a papal entourage, or at times even the population of Rome, might ransack the Apostolic Palace. “A papal death provoked all sorts of problems.”

In the modern era, long after the pope lost his temporal powers, transitions have run more smoothly. Now a change at the top, while having great consequence for the priorities, vision and ideological complexion of the church, is unlikely to have much geopolitical impact. Still, the last days of a pope attract pilgrims, and news media, from all over the world to Rome, and they focus the faithful’s attention on their spiritual leader.

Cardinals said the rosary before the passing of Pope John XXIII in 1963. It was during a similar prayer session in St. Peter’s Square in 2005 that Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, then the under secretary of state for the Vatican, announced the death of Pope John Paul II after his final days of agony.

The once vigorous Polish pope had long suffered from Parkinson’s disease: He had lost his ability to speak clearly and often appeared hunched and ailing. His failing health had been a subject of morbid attention for years.

“It was so weird,” said Father Paul Alger, a 42-year-old priest from Augusta, Ga., who studied theology in Rome and recalled those years as a perennial papal death watch.

Francis, who initially speculated that he would have a short pontificate, has instead led the church for a dozen eventful and busy years. For the first years, he crisscrossed the globe, met with world leaders and played an active role in championing the issues he cared most about, especially on behalf of migrants and the marginalized.

But a bad knee and sciatica began to physically slow Francis down more recently. He began to depend on a cane and a walker and then a wheelchair.

Francis had colon surgery in 2021 and was operated on again two years later for a hernia that developed because of that surgery. Throughout, he kept up a demanding schedule, but his breathing became belabored, as he struggled with respiratory infections and now an explosion of pneumonia and infections that has put him in critical condition.

The faithful and clerics in attendance on Monday preferred to focus on Francis’ life rather than what seemed the end of it. Bishop Manuel Nin, the apostolic exarch to the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, called it “unhealthy” to fixate on something that was ultimately “in God’s hands.”

But some clerics worried this latest downturn could be Francis’ last.

“They say he had a good night, he is resting, but at the same time it is clear his prognosis is not good,” said Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, who also attended the rosary in St. Peter’s Square. “It’s the beginning of the end.”

Bishop Fernandes, who said he follows “the news about the pope in multiple languages every day,” speculated that even if Francis were to get better, it would be harder for him to be around people, something Francis “always loved,” he said.

“That itself would kill him,” the bishop added.

A solemnity pervaded St. Peter’s Square, rain slicked the cobbled stones and the faithful chanted invocations to the Virgin Mary. A pair of swooping gulls cawed. In the surrounding palaces, private speculation about who might replace Francis began, ideological camps taking shape. But the event provided a public forum for the church’s leaders, of all political persuasions, to rally around the pope in his time of need.

Among the cardinals beside Cardinal Parolin on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday evening were prelates who often appeared on short lists to replace Francis, including Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines. But there were also cardinals with whom Francis has clashed for a decade, including the American Cardinal Raymond Burke, the de facto leader of the opposition to the pope’s agenda.

“When someone is dying, all that is said and done,” Father Alger said, comparing the church to a family that rallies around a dying father no matter the divisions at home. “He is the Holy Father and he is in trouble. Death has a way of making clear what matters.”

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World

Video: Deadly Storm Causes Massive Flooding Across Gaza

Published

4 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Video: Deadly Storm Causes Massive Flooding Across Gaza

new video loaded: Deadly Storm Causes Massive Flooding Across Gaza

Nearly 795,000 displaced people in Gaza were at risk of dangerous floodwaters, according to the United Nations. The heavy rain and strong winds flooded makeshift shelters and collapsed several buildings, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.

By Jorge Mitssunaga, Nader Ibrahim and Saher Alghorra

December 12, 2025

World

Archaeologists uncover rare fresco of Jesus in town Pope Leo XIV recently visited

Published

5 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Archaeologists uncover rare fresco of Jesus in town Pope Leo XIV recently visited

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Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a fresco of a Roman-looking Jesus as the “Good Shepherd,” which is being hailed as one of the most important finds from Anatolia’s early Christian era.

The work of art was found in August in an underground tomb near the town of Iznik, where the Nicene Creed, a foundational statement of Christian belief, was adopted in A.D. 325. The tomb itself is believed to date back to the third century, when the area was still under the Roman Empire and Christians faced persecution.

POPE LEO XIV OPENS FIRST FOREIGN TRIP IN TURKEY WITH A VISIT TO CHRISTIANITY’S EARLY HEARTLANDS

Archaeologists clean and restore frescoes inside a 3rd-century tomb where a rare early Christian depiction of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” was discovered, in Iznik, Turkey, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Khalil Hamra/AP Photo)

The fresco shows a youthful, clean-shaven Jesus dressed in a toga and carrying a goat on his shoulders, according to The Associated Press, which was the first international media organization given access to the tomb. The outlet noted that researchers say the fresco represents one of the rare instances in Anatolia in which Jesus is portrayed with Roman attributes.

The lead archaeologist on the project believes the artwork could be the “only example of its kind in Anatolia,” the AP reported.

A fresco depicting Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” adorns the wall of a 3rd-century tomb in Hisardere, where archaeologists uncovered one of Anatolia’s best-preserved early Christian artworks, in Iznik, Turkey, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Khalil Hamra/AP Phto)

POPE LEO XIV CALLS FOR ‘DIVINE GIFT OF PEACE’ IN MAIDEN VISIT TO MIDDLE EAST

Pope Leo XIV recently visited the town as part of his first overseas trip since taking the helm of the Vatican. While in Iznik, Pope Leo XIV marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which set forth the Nicene Creed that millions of Christians still read today.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes Pope Leo XIV (R) with an official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye, on Nov. 27, 2025. (Utku Ucrak/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented a tile painting of the “Good Shepherd” discovery to the pope, according to the AP.

While in Turkey, Pope Leo XIV was joined by Eastern and Western patriarchs and priests as they prayed that Christians would one day be united once again. They prayed together over the site where the council produced the Nicene Creed. The men recited the creed, which the pope said was “of fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making toward full communion,” according to the AP.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

World

Three years on, former MEP Kaili remains in limbo still awaiting trial

Published

6 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Three years on, former MEP Kaili remains in limbo still awaiting trial

The detention of former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini earlier this month in a fraud investigation in Belgium has raised fresh questions about why suspects in the European Parliament’s corruption scandal still have not faced trial, three years after arrests that shocked Brussels.

Mogherini, who led the EU’s diplomatic service from 2014 to 2019 and then served as rector of the prestigious College of Europe, was questioned alongside two others on suspicion of alleged procurement fraud, corruption and conflict of interest related to an EU-funded diplomatic training programme.

The Italian top diplomat, who was eventually released pending charges, has since resigned from her post at the College of Europe.

Meanwhile, the protracted European Parliament corruption scandal investigation, which began with raids across Brussels on 9 December 2022, has moved at a glacial pace.

Greek MEP Eva Kaili became the face of the scandal when Belgian police revealed it had discovered €150,000 in cash — purportedly in large bags — at her Brussels residence during the raids.

Since then, Kaili has spent the intervening years in a legal purgatory, or what some have since dubbed “Belgiangate”.

Brussels rocked by Parliament sting

Authorities said they discovered a total of €1.5 million in cash during the 2022 sting, including €600,000 at the home of former Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri and the money found at the Brussels residence of Kaili, who was also serving as one of 14 vice presidents of the European Parliament at the time.

Kaili’s father Alexandros was apprehended at the Sofitel hotel at Place Jourdan with a suitcase containing “several hundred thousand euros,” according to authorities.

A special police team accompanied by investigating judge Michel Claise then raided Kaili’s home that evening, arresting her in front of her two-year-old daughter.

Stripped of her parliamentary immunity, Kaili spent four months in pre-trial detention followed by house arrest with an electronic bracelet until May 2023, all while maintaining her innocence in what prosecutors allege was a scheme by three non-EU countries to buy influence in the European Parliament.

She remains charged with participation in a criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering.

The 47-year-old former MEP has consistently denied all charges. Her partner Francesco Giorgi, a parliamentary assistant and former aide to Panzeri, admitted accepting bribes but alleged Kaili was not directly involved in the corruption scheme. He is the father of Kaili’s daughter.

Byzantine court drama

The case centres on allegations that Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania sought to influence European Parliament decisions through bribes paid to MEPs and staff. Authorities say the scheme aimed to kill off parliamentary resolutions condemning Qatar’s human rights record and secure visa liberalisation for Qatari citizens. Both Qatar and Morocco deny the allegations.

Panzeri struck a deal with prosecutors in January 2023 to become a cooperating witness in exchange for a reduced sentence. Under the agreement, he committed to revealing “the identity of the persons he admits to having bribed.”

Defence lawyers have challenged Panzeri’s credibility and the methods used to secure his confession.

The case took another hit after Claise, the investigating judge who ordered Kaili’s arrest, was forced to recuse himself in June 2023 after it emerged his son was a business partner of Belgian MEP Marie Arena’s son — Arena herself later charged in the scandal.

Defence lawyers claim Claise knew about these connections and should have recused himself earlier, and that he protected Arena by delaying her indictment.

Marie Arena was charged only in January with participation in a criminal organisation but not with corruption or money laundering. Police found €280,000 in cash at her son’s home, according to Belgian media reports.

Another significant development came in September 2024 when a Brussels judge ordered Committee R, an independent body overseeing Belgian intelligence, to review the legality of “specific and exceptional methods” used by Belgian secret service VSSE in the investigation.

“It’s a very important and extraordinary decision that the appeal court made,” Kaili’s lawyer Sven Mary told Euronews at the time, adding that the finding could open a “new Pandora’s box” about the role Belgian intelligence played.

The Committee had issued an opinion in January confirming that the VSSE acted within the law. However, defence lawyers pointed out that Belgium’s penal code was not amended to criminalise foreign interference until April 2024 — a year and a half after the raids. At the time of the original investigation, only military espionage qualified as a prosecutable offence of interference.

Kaili has also challenged other parts of the investigation, arguing that Belgian authorities subjected her to “medieval” conditions during detention.

Her lawyers claimed she was held in solitary confinement for three days in January 2023 without adequate blankets, with lights on continuously, which they described as “torture”. Belgian prosecutors disputed these claims.

Case known as Belgiangate?

The procedural challenges facing the investigation are substantial. Defence lawyers have questioned the case on multiple fronts, including how Kaili’s immunity was lifted, the role of Belgian intelligence services, and the credibility of key witness Antonio Panzeri.

A crucial dispute centres on whether investigators artificially created a flagrant delicto situation. When Kaili’s father was arrested carrying a suitcase of cash on 9 December 2022, Judge Claise used this to justify an immediate search of Kaili’s home.

Defence lawyers argue immunity can only be lifted when someone is caught in the act, and that investigators manufactured these conditions specifically to bypass her parliamentary protections.

Questions about Panzeri’s reliability intensified after Giorgi secretly recorded an investigator saying, “Panzeri is lying.”

The recording, revealed by Belgian outlet La Libre, is said to have captured the investigator repeatedly questioning the credibility of the man Belgian authorities consider the scheme’s mastermind.

Prosecutors want the recording excluded, citing “unclear” circumstances. Defence lawyers insist it proves Panzeri’s cooperation agreement was granted too hastily and should have required court approval.

In September 2024, Kaili and Giorgi filed a defamation complaint against Panzeri with prosecutors in Milan.

In July of this year, Kaili won a legal victory when the EU’s General Court ruled that the European Parliament had wrongly denied her access to documents about her alleged mismanagement of parliamentary assistant allowances, part of an EPPO claim.

All still in limbo

The case has expanded significantly since the initial arrests. In March, prosecutors requested that parliamentary immunity be waived for Italian S&D MEPs Elisabetta Gualmini and Alessandra Moretti.

In total, at least 10 people now face charges, including former MEPs Panzeri, Cozzolino and Marc Tarabella, as well as lobbyist Niccolò Figà-Talamanca and Luca Visentini, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.

The Brussels Chamber of Indictment only began reviewing the legality of the investigation this week, with hearings involving more than 20 parties to the case.

Kaili, who did not seek re-election in 2024, now lives in Italy and Greece, where authorities froze her assets shortly after her arrest, while it remains unlikely a trial will begin before late 2026 at the earliest.