“it’s Only Natural the Pope Should Suffer Fatigue Given the Life He Leads”

By Giacomo Galeazzi
Vatican Insider
June 27, 2014

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/news/detail/articolo/francesco-francis-francisco-gemelli-34955/

(©ansa) Archbishop Scola Celebrates Mass On Behalf Of The Pope At The Gemelli Hospital

“His fatigue is down to the intense and busy life he leads. This is not the first time a visit has been called off.” This was the explanation the Vatican gave for the Pope’s no-show at Rome’s “Agostino Gemelli” hospital where a large crowd of faithful excitedly awaited his arrival this afternoon. In doing so, the Vatican slashed speculations regarding the Pope’s health, straight away.

“Even before his visit to the Holy Land the Pope decided by himself not to complete his scheduled visit the Sanctuary of Divine Love.” “And again now, the Holy Father decided of his own accord not to go.”

Francis’ decision not to visit the University of the Sacred Heart’s Rome campus is down to an “unexpected indisposition”, at the end of a very trying week.

The hospital’s directors were disappointed by the unexpected, last minute cancellation of the Pope’s visit which would have lasted three hours and was due to take place this afternoon. It is hoped that the visit will be rescheduled and take place soon given that the statement issued by the Holy See does not speak of the visit being “cancelled” but “called off”. The television channels that gathered to cover the event dispersed and the crowds left in an orderly fashion, folding the various welcome banners that had been prepared for the occasion. The Vatican gendarmerie left the Popemobile in the square for a few minutes so that those who had gathered for the papal visit could at least take a few snapshots by the jeep.

The news was announced by Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, who explained that the visit had been postponed. When asked about the reasons for the Pope’s scheduled visit, the Master of Ceremonies, Mgr. Guido Martini, said: “If you don’t know that, well…”

The Vatican was not alarmed by the Pope’s decision to postpone his visit to the hospital. He also cancelled at the last minute on four other occasions, only to appear in top form the following day. In some cases, skipping a meeting in his packed schedule has been a way for him to save some energy ahead of other meetings. The last time this happened was on 9 June, when he called off a number of meetings (including the audience with the Supreme Council of Magistrates) the day after his Vatican “prayer summit” with Palestinian president Abu Mazen, Israeli president Shimon Peres and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. But the following Wednesday his General Audience went ahead as normal (and it was tiring because, as usual, he greeted hundreds of sick people individually). The Sunday after that he went to meet a multitude of poor people and foreign friends, friends of the Community of Sant’Egidio.

The first time Francis skipped a scheduled meeting was a year ago, when people awaited his arrival at a concert in his honour to mark the Year of Faith in vain. A dismayed Mgr. Rino Fisichella had to explain that the Pope was busy receiving Holy See representatives to hear about the serious problems the Church faced across the world. His empty seat became a symbol of the Pope “from the other side of the world’s “rejection of worldliness.

On 4 December Francis cancelled his audience with Angelo Scola and representatives of Expo Milano 2015 who wanted to invite him to the event.

Last 28 February, Francis cancelled his visit to the Roman Seminary because of a slight fever.

In order to recharge his batteries, he also called off the visit to the Sanctuary of Divine Love on 15 May, as well as the audiences scheduled for 16 May, so that he could rest a bit before his trip to the Holy Land.

The homily for today’s mass at the “Agostino Gemelli” hospital - celebrated by the Archbishop of Milan and President of the Toniolo Institute, Angelo Scola, in the end - was entirely dedicated to Jesus’ love for humanity. “We can experience and taste the tenderness of this love at every stage of our lives: in times of joy and in times of sadness, in times of health and in times of infirmity and illness,” the Pope’s text read.