Pope Francis recorded and released an audio message on Thursday thanking those who have been praying for his recovery, his voice breathless as he nears three weeks in hospital with pneumonia.
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“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square, I accompany you from here,” Francis said in a message broadcast in St Peter’s Square.
“May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you,” he said, taking laboured breaths as he spoke in his native Spanish, with some words fading away into nothing.
It was the first time the world has heard Francis’ voice since the 88-year-old was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14.
Pilgrims have been gathering in St Peter’s Square every evening to pray for the pope’s recovery. The hundreds of people there on Thursday applauded when they heard his message.
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