Pope Francis injured in fall at his residence: Vatican

Jan 16

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor/Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor/Reporter ), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

Pope Francis, 88, injured himself during a fall at his residence at the Vatican on Thursday, Jan. 16. The Vatican issued a statement saying the pontiff injured his forearm at the Santa Marta house but did not suffer any fractures.

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The Vatican press office released a photo of the pope with his right arm in a sling.

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The incident comes during the same week the pope released his memoir.

In the pope’s memoirs, readers learn he rarely watches television. He said this is because he was offended by something he saw on TV in 1990. Instead, he reads the scores and standings of soccer matches that interest him.

The pope was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina in 1936. In 1961, his father died, leaving him to care for his four younger siblings.

Ever since his papal inauguration in 2013, Catholics have heard the pontiff preach and deliver homilies about taking care of the environment, the poor and the immigrants, as well as his criticism of wealth and war.

As the Pope has aged, many have wondered how long he will live and when he might pass. His memoir explains that Francis does not want to be buried at St. Peter’s Basilica, which is the final resting place of many of his predecessors.

Instead, he wants his funeral to take place at his favorite church in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore. He calls himself a pastor and a disciple, not a powerful man.

Pope Francis’s autobiography, titled “Hope,” hit bookstores in some 80 countries on Tuesday, Jan. 14, according to the publisher Penguin Random House. It comes at a time when many Catholics are celebrating what is called a Jubilee Year, which includes pilgrimages to Rome.

Tags: Catholic, Catholic Church, Italy, Pope Francis, Vatican

[Craig]
POPE FRANCIS, WHO IS 88-YEARS-OLD, WAS INJURED IN A FALL AT HIS RESIDENCE AT THE VATICAN ON THURSDAY. THE VATICAN ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING THE PONTIFF INJURED HIS FOREARM BUT DID NOT SUFFER ANY FRACTURES, AT THE SANTA MARTA HOUSE.
THE VATICAN PRESS OFFICE RELEASED A PHOTO OF THE POPE WITH HIS RIGHT ARM IN A SLING.
THE INCIDENT COMES THE SAME WEEK THE POPE, WHO WAS BORN JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO IN ARGENTINA IN 1936, RELEASED HIS MEMOIR. IN IT, READERS LEARN THAT THE POPE ALMOST NEVER WATCHES TELEVISION AFTER BEING OFFENDED BY SOMETHING HE SAW ON T-V BACK IN 1990. INSTEAD HE READS ABOUT THE LATEST SCORES AND STANDINGS OF THE SPORT HE LOVES : SOCCER.
HIS FATHER DIED IN 1961, LEAVING JORGE TO CARE FOR HIS FOUR YOUNGER SIBLINGS.
EVER SINCE HIS PAPAL INAUGURATION IN 2013, CATHOLICS HAVE HEARD THE PONTIFF PREACH AND DELIVER HOMILIES ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THE POOR, AND THE IMMIGRANTS, AS WELL AS HIS CRITICISM OF WEALTH AND WAR.
AS THE POPE HAS AGED, MANY HAVE WONDERED ABOUT HOW LONG HE WILL LIVE AND WHEN HE MIGHT PASS.
HIS MEMOIR EXPLAINS THAT FRANCIS DOES NOT WANT TO BE BURIED AT ST. PETER’S BASILICA, WHICH IS THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF MANY OF HIS PREDESSORS. INSTEAD, HE WANTS HIS FUNERAL TO TAKE PLACE AT HIS FAVORITE CHURCH IN ROME, SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE (PRONOUNCED MAH-JOR-AY). HE CALLS HIMSELF A PASTOR AND A DISCIPLE NOT A POWERFUL MAN.
POPE FRANCIS’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY TITLED “ HOPE” IS HITTING BOOKSTORES IN SOME 80 COUNTRIES THIS WEEK ACCORDING TO THE PUBLISHER, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE. IT COMES AT TIME WHEN CATHOLICS ARE CELEBRATING WHAT IS CALLED A JUBILEE YEAR WHEN MANY OF THE FAITHFUL MAKE PILGRIMMAGE.
SOME 30 MILLION VISITORS ARE EXPECTED TO GO ON THE RELIGIOUS JOURNEY TO ROME THIS YEAR. THE JUBILEE CELEBRATION BEGAN ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND RUNS UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF 2026.
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