Pope Francis has baptized a child from the pediatric oncology floor of the hospital where he remains hospitalized, the Gemelli in Rome. The Pope has visited the plant to distribute gifts to several children and baptize one of them, as can be seen in a video released by the Vatican and after confirming that It is expected that he will be discharged this Saturday.

Francisco left the apartment reserved for the pontiffs and went to the pediatric area to deliver rosaries, Easter eggs and copies of the book ‘Nacque Gesù a Betlemme di Giudea’. During the visit, which lasted about half an hour, the Pope imparted the sacrament of baptism to a few-week-old boy named Michelangelo, whose video was released by the Holy See.

According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, Francis He will leave the hospital tomorrow, after passing a series of controls for bronchitis for which he had to be admitted on Wednesday. Francisco, 86, has spent his second night at the Gemelli hospital in Rome due to bronchitis and his intention is to be present at the Holy Week events, even if he does not officiate.

In fact, he will attend the Palm Sunday mass in Saint Peter’s Square. Given his state of health, with the convalescent pontiffthe Vatican is working on a program that allows Easter to be celebrated and, according to the media, the idea is that the rites are officiated at the altar by different cardinals but presided over by Francisco.

It is the second time that Francis has been admitted to this Roman hospital, after July 4, 2021, he underwent colon surgery and remained hospitalized for ten days, in which he came to officiate the Angelus from the balcony of the health center.

Since then, the pope has only suffered a problem with his right knee thatand forces him to walk with a cane or a wheelchair and he has assured on several occasions that he does not want to operate.