‘We came so close to losing him…’

‘We came so close to losing him…’

By Ronnie Convery

The doctors who treated Pope Francis have revealed the Holy Father came close to death twice last month.

It was the afternoon of February 28. Pope Francis had been hospitalised at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for 14 days. Suddenly his condition worsened, he had a bronchial spasm, he was fighting to breathe. He asked for help.

Professor Sergio Alfieri (right), said this was the worst moment of the Holy Father’s hospitalisation.

“Yes, that was the worst. For the first time I saw tears in the eyes of some of the people who were around him. People who, I understood during this period of hospitalisation, sincerely love him like a father.

We were all aware that the situation had further worsened and there was a risk that he would not make it.

“We had to choose whether to give up and let him go or force it and try all the drugs and therapies possible, risking damage to other organs. In the end we took that second option.

“His personal healthcare assistant said: ‘Try everything, we won’t give up’. That’s what we all thought too. And so no one gave up”.

Professor Alfieri, in an interview with the Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera, was asked if Pope Francis understand that he was at risk of dying…

“Yes, because he was always alert. Even when his condition worsened he was fully conscious. That evening was terrible, he knew, like us, that he might not survive the night. We saw the man who was suffering. But from day one he asked us to tell him the truth and he wanted us to tell the truth about his condition.”

Professor Alfieri said: “There is a scientific theory which suggests prayers give strength to the sick person. In this case the whole world started praying. I can say that on two occasions the situation was lost and then it happened like a miracle. Of course, he was a very cooperative patient. He underwent all the therapies without ever complaining.

Details also emerged of the struggle the Pope put up to avoid going into hospital.

The doctor said: “He had been sick for days, but he resisted because he probably wanted to respect his commitments for the Jubilee Year. He arrived at the hospital in great pain and a little annoyed. In a few hours, however, he regained his good mood.”

Now a long recovery awaits, but the Pope’s mood remains positive – according to the physician “he is physically tired, but the mind is that of a fifty-year-old.

“As soon as he started to feel better, he asked to go around the ward. He moved around with the wheelchair, one day he left the room five times, perhaps even more.

“And then there was the pizza night… He gave money to one of his assistants and ordered pizza for everyone who had assisted him that day!”

The Professor confessed he will always treasure one memory of the Pope’s hospitalisation.

“When things were really bad he held my hand for a few minutes as if seeking comfort. It’s a moment I will never forget.”

Easter welcome for 100 ‘new Catholics’

By Ronnie Convery

Archbishop Nolan had two powerful messages for the 100 or so people who will be received into the Church or baptised as adults this Easter… first, ‘feel very welcome’, and then, ‘don’t keep the faith to yourselves’.

This year saw a huge increase in the number of adults entering the Church, with 63 seeking baptism and 36 who have already been baptised who will be received into the Catholic Church.

As they gathered in the Cathedral for the Rite of Election, the Archbishop spoke to the new converts humorously about the TV travel programmes of the past which ‘exposed’ hidden gems as possible holiday locations. And he recalled how, as a priest in Rome, he was happy to keep his own ‘hidden gems’ – a fishing village or restaurant – to himself to avoid them being spoiled by over-tourism.

But, he said, the faith is different!

“The faith is something we should share,” he said. “Think of it as being like candlelight… we can share the light of one candle to another without affecting the light of our own candle.

“We are all here because someone has passed on the light of faith to us, so now we have to let the light of faith shine out so that others can have that experience of encountering God that we have had.

“That’s the best way of expressing our appreciation of the gift of faith we have been given …”

This year’s group of ‘new Catholics’ is the largest for many years, and one parish – Immaculate Conception in Maryhill – has a record number of 12 adults completing their faith journey this Easter – eight to be baptised and four to be received into the Church having already been baptised.

Canon David Wallace, who oversees the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) programme in the Archdiocese, said: “It was heartening and to see so many people coming together, sharing their faith stories, experiencing the support of the whole Archdiocese as they prepare for Easter and this major step in their spiritual lives.”

April canonisation – Carlo will be a saint

By Ronnie Convery

Carlo Acutis, a young British-Italian teenager who lived a short but remarkable life, has captured the hearts of many with his deep faith, vibrant personality, and modern approach to spirituality.

Born in 1991, in London, Carlo’s family had firm roots in the UK. He was baptised in Our Lady of Dolours in London and his grandparents were married in Westminster Cathedral in 1963.

He soon moved back to Italy, though, where he grew up in Milan. From a young age, Carlo displayed an unusual love for both technology and religion, a combination that would later lead him to leave an indelible mark on the Church.

His story continues to inspire millions around the world, and his forthcoming canonisation is a testament to the holiness he embodied in his 15 years of life.

Carlo’s life was marked by a deep devotion to the Eucharist. Even as a child, he had a profound love for the Mass, which he attended every day if he could. He is often quoted as saying, “The Eucharist is my highway to Heaven.”

Carlo’s devotion was not just an abstract feeling; it was a driving force behind his actions. He sought to share the beauty of the Eucharist with others by creating a website that documented Eucharistic miracles around the world. His project, ‘Eucharistic Miracles of the World’, became an important resource, connecting the wonders of the Church’s history with the digital age, showing how faith and technology could coexist.

Aside from his passion for technology, Carlo led a life full of simple but significant acts of kindness and holiness. He was known to be humble, with a kind heart, and was never drawn to fame or material wealth.

He enjoyed ordinary hobbies such as playing video games, but always balanced them with prayer, and a commitment to helping those in need.

Tragedy struck though when he was only 15. He was diagnosed with leukemia a devastating blow to his family. It would ultimately take his life on October 12, 2006.

During his illness, he continued to show an extraordinary level of peace and faith, even offering his suffering for the Pope and for the Church. His mother, Antonia, recalls that Carlo showed no fear of death, trusting completely in God’s plan for him.

Carlo’s beatification on October 10, 2020, marked a major milestone in the Church’s recognition of his holiness. His life and message resonate particularly with young people, offering them a model of how to live a faith-filled life in the modern world. His love for technology and his ability to use it for good shows that being a saint does not mean rejecting the world around you; rather, it means transforming it with faith, hope and love.

Mass behind closed doors – Covid five years on

By Ronnie Convery

The words of the old hymn to St Joseph had never sounded so powerful… ‘When the death shades round us gather, teach O teach us how to die, teach O teach us how to die…”

The location was St Andrew’s Cathedral.

The date, March 19, 2020, the feast of St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church.

It was the day the doors of churches across the land closed, without any indication of when they might ever re-open.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia had dreaded that day. But he wanted to preside at the final Mass in the Cathedral… and anyone who was present will long remember the emotion as the Archbishop struggled to finish his homily and wept openly as he left the sanctuary.

Later he wrote to parishioners and spoke of his sorrow: “The decision to suspend Masses was, for me, more than distressing. Heartbreaking, I would say. In the end, however, I could not avoid it.

“I know that you will be as sad as me at this new reality which has come upon us so quickly. It is really hard to contemplate weeks and months without Mass.

“I said in my homily that, whatever happened, the Church would not abandon you. I repeat that pledge to you now. The Church is our Mother and with the care of a mother wants to look after her children in moments of danger and trial.”

Thus began the most extraordinary period in the life of the Catholic Church in Scotland – and wider society – in living memory.

Closed

St Andrew’s Cathedral, which had opened its doors to provide daily Mass since 1816 was now locked up. Every parish church was similarly closed.

Marriages were cancelled with immediate effect leaving brides and grooms heartbroken. Baptisms were postponed. First communions were not celebrated. And most harrowing of all, funerals were celebrated in near empty churches.

Of course the Covid pandemic also had a devastating impact on the life of the Catholic Church worldwide.

Pope Francis was unable to be in contact with his people as audiences were cancelled, and all public ceremonies suspended.

In an effort to offer some spiritual sustenance, the Holy Father arranged for cameras to carry his own private morning Mass from his residence at Casa Santa Marta, at which he preached a simple daily homily offering words of support to people afflicted by Covid.

One image in particular captured the mood of those extraordinary days… the sight of the Holy Father, alone in a rain-swept St Peter’s Square, with rain lashing the earth from the night sky, in an extraordinary blessing Urbi et Orbi – to the city and the world.

Believers and non-believers across the globe tuned into the live broadcast…

“For weeks now it has been evening,” said the Pope. “Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice it in people’s gestures, their glances give them away.”

Perish

The Covid-19 pandemic had reminded us that we are all on the same boat, said Pope Francis, and so we call out to Jesus… “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?”

As the virus was brought under control, the Cathedral re-opened, and how joyful was Archbishop Philip as he threw open the wooden doors onto Clyde Street (right).

Alas, it was to be a short-lived respite. The virus was to return and another lockdown was imposed.

During that lockdown the Archbishop died – one of countless victims whose deaths were fully or partly linked to the virus.

His funeral in his beloved Cathedral was unbearably poignant.

Though thousands wished to mourn him, and thank him for his paternal care during the Covid ordeal, the rules were strict, meaning only close family and his brother bishops could attend.

The hymn to St Joseph came to mind once more… ‘Teach O teach us how to die’.