"Here is the date of the letter signed by the Pope": a detail from Gemelli that overturns the scenarios

The health conditions of Pope Francis are still worrying, but hope - they explain in the Vatican - is not lacking. Generating optimism is the active participation of Bergoglio who, despite being hospitalized, continues to work. "Monday evening we cardinals were in St. Peter's Square for the recitation of the rosary presided over by the Secretary of State Parolin, we had just settled in and there was also Archbishop Peña Parra , the Substitute, who turned to me and said smiling: 'Did you see that we brought the signed documents?'. I have the decrees right here in front of me, with the signature of the Holy Father, here: Francis, the date is exactly February 24th...". Cardinal Marcello Semeraro is the one to report the incident: "I had sent him the folder with the documentation through the Secretariat of State, I had agreed with the Pope that I would have it sent to him through them, it was Cardinal Parolin and Monsignor Peña Parra who brought it to him".

In the folder are the decrees of the causes of the saints, with the declaration of Venerable the carabiniere Salvo d'Acquisto. In short, the Pontiff does not hold back on anything. "I do not want to make things easy - he begins to Corriere della Sera - but I care a lot about his strength of spirit, fundamental to be able to withstand this situation and react without ever getting depressed. It is not only the psychological energy that can be seen in many people, it is something different, deeper".

Not by chance, "when they told me that he had signed the papers, I said to myself: at least someone will be convinced that he is not dying . It is a sign of hope. Of course, there are difficulties. They come from his health conditions, from his age. Jokingly, I would say that all this will perhaps serve as a lesson to him, to calm down a bit and take care of himself, in the future!".