So, like, Pope Francis is totally in the hospital right now. The Vatican is saying he’s dealing with this super complex respiratory tract infection, and they’re keeping him at Gemelli Hospital in Rome while doctors try to get everything under control. It’s, like, such a big deal because he’s 88, and obviously, when you’re that age, any health issue is kinda serious. He was supposed to do his big general audience on Wednesday, but, yeah, that’s totally not happening now.
So, for anyone who’s been living under a rock, Pope Francis—real name Jorge Mario Bergoglio—has been running the Catholic Church since 2013. He’s, like, a total history-maker because he’s the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and honestly, just the first pope to ever give off major grandpa vibes. From the start, he’s been all about shaking things up, which, obviously, some people love and some people totally can’t stand.
Like, okay, this man has done a lot. He’s super into social justice and helping the poor, and he’s always pushing for interfaith dialogue and all that good stuff. Back in 2015, he dropped Laudato Si’, which was basically him going, “Hey world, climate change is real, and we need to fix it before we all, like, burn.” He’s also spoken up about economic inequality and has been a huge advocate for migrants and refugees. Like, he’s not just sitting in the Vatican—he’s out there calling out world leaders and telling them to do better.
But, not everyone is obsessed with him. Some people think he’s being too chill about stuff. He’s tried to make the Church more inclusive, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ people and divorced Catholics, and let’s just say the conservative crowd is not happy about it. They’re all, “He’s ruining tradition,” while everyone else is like, “Finally, someone who gets it.” He also tried to reform the Church’s rules around priests, suggesting that maybe married men could be allowed in certain cases, which, again, made some people lose their minds.
And then there’s the whole abuse scandal thing. He’s definitely tried to clean up the mess, getting rid of corrupt clergy and making policies to hold people accountable, but critics still think he could be doing more. It’s, like, this never-ending issue, and some people just don’t think he’s tough enough on it.
Anyway, now that he’s in the hospital, everyone is wondering what’s next. Like, is he going to keep going, or is he gonna pull a Benedict and step down? The Vatican isn’t saying anything about that, but, like, let’s be real—he’s had a ton of health problems. He’s had surgery for intestinal issues, and now with this whole respiratory infection thing, it’s got people thinking. But even if he does retire, he’s already reshaped the Church so much. Most of the cardinals who would pick the next pope were appointed by him, so even if he’s not running the show, his influence is, like, totally not going away anytime soon.
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
