King Charles III Still Hopes to Meet Pope Francis During Italy Visit Amid Health Concerns
LONDON – King Charles III remains hopeful about meeting Pope Francis during his scheduled state visit to the Vatican and Italy next month, according to a Buckingham Palace source on Tuesday. This comes more than a month after the pope was hospitalized due to health complications.
In February, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla would visit Rome in April to meet the 88-year-old pontiff. However, shortly after the announcement, Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital with a severe respiratory infection.
On Sunday, the Vatican released the first image of the pope since his February 14 hospitalization, stating that his condition is gradually improving. Officials also noted that Francis has been relying less on mechanical ventilation at night to assist with breathing.
King Charles III’s Italy Visit Set for April 7, Hopes to Meet Pope Francis Amid Health Concerns
The royal couple's three-day visit to Italy is scheduled to begin on April 7, with a planned meeting between King Charles III and Pope Francis set for the following day. Royal officials have expressed their "hopes and prayers that Pope Francis' health will allow the visit to proceed," a sentiment echoed by both Charles and Camilla, according to a Buckingham Palace source cited by Reuters.
King Charles, 76, who is also undergoing treatment for cancer and has had his schedule carefully managed, personally wrote to Pope Francis following his hospitalization, the source revealed. The two previously met in Rome in 2017 and 2019 before Charles ascended the throne.
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