Pope Francis has made another unscheduled stop during his two-day pastoral visit to the northern Italian city of Turin.
Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State was rushed to hospital in the morning for a minor illness. In the evening, the Holy Father made an unscheduled stop at the Molinette private hospital where the Vatican official was being treated.
During morning Mass in Piazza Vittorio, the bishop didn’t feel well and was transported by ambulance to the emergency room.
The doctors said, «Nothing to worry about.»
After spending the night in intensive care as a precaution, the cleric has already been released this morning. He will return to Rome in the afternoon, along with the Pontiff, once he has finished his visit.
The hospital staff could hardly believe the Pope made the impromptu visit. The Holy Father entered the hospital through the visitor’s entrance.
«There we saw him arrive suddenly,» said Francesco Enriquens, one of the Hospital directors. «He went to the counter, like a common patient, wanting to know about the recovery of his friend. We remained stone faced.»
The Pope «came while we were having a briefing on Archbishop Angelo Becciu,» he continued. Enriquens went on to say how Francis met with the staff of the department, one by one, greeting the doctors and nurses. Then, the Pontiff entered the archbishop’s room, stopping for a few minutes, before returning to the archbishopric.
