Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels / David Castor
CV NEWS FEED // On the 10th day of Pope Francis’ hospitalization for pneumonia and bronchitis treatment, the archbishop of Los Angeles offered Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for the Holy Father’s health and recovery.
The Mass, celebrated by Archbishop José Gomez, is part of the archdiocese-wide special prayer offering for the Holy Father. As CatholicVote previously reported, Pope Francis was hospitalized Feb. 14 at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to receive treatment for bronchitis and bilateral pneumonia. As of Feb. 25, the Holy Father remains in the hospital but has shown “some improvement,” the Holy See Press Office stated.
>> Thousands gather at the Vatican to pray for Pope Francis <<
Archbishop Gomez concelebrated the Feb. 24 Mass with Father Michael Mesa, who gave the homily.
Fr. Mesa’s homily, which focused on the gospel reading, emphasized the necessity of trusting and relying on the power of God in times of trial and suffering.
“We gather here today of course with expectant and concerned hearts, lifting up our Holy Father Pope Francis,” Fr. Mesa said, “who continues to be in critical condition. And yet, it is in precisely these moments or any moments of our lives in uncertainty when our scriptures, especially for today, remind us of who it is we are as Disciples of the Lord.”
Archbishop Gomez has been calling for the faithful to pray for the Holy Father in recent days. In his Feb. 23 homily for the Mass for the Religious Education Congress, he urged the faithful of the archdiocese to pray for the Holy Father’s health and well being.
“Let’s keep praying for Pope Francis and let’s entrust him to the tender care of Our Blessed Mother,” Archbishop Gomez said in the homily, “and ask that she be close to him and guide him to a speedy and full recovery.”
In a Feb. 22 X post, he especially encouraged invoking Our Lady’s intercession for Pope Francis.
