Italy, July 18 – Pope Benedict XVI slept well and celebrated his regular daily mass Saturday with his wrist in plaster, the day after his operation on the fracture, his spokesman said.
“He is learning to live with a right wrist in plaster,” Federico Lombardi told AFP. “The most difficult thing for him is having to give up writing.”
Lombardi said the 82-year-old pontiff, who is on a two-week holiday in northern Italy, would fly by helicopter on Sunday as planned to Romano Canavese, in the neighbouring Piedmont region, to recite the evening Angelus prayer.
Some 10,000 people are expected at the ceremony in the town, the birthplace of Vatican number two Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
Lombardi said the rest of the pope’s programme during his vacation, which is due to end on July 29, was also unchanged.
The German-born pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church since April 2005, had two metal pins inserted into the broken bone in a “routine” operation under local anaesthetic at Aosta hospital on Friday.
He had slipped and fallen in his bedroom during the night, a Vatican statement said.
The headline for this was “Pope celebrates mass in plaster“, which is rather silly – though better than “Plastered Pope celebrates Mass.”
Reports also say that he uses a voice recorder to write things out, so hopefully his injury will not effect rumors that he is working on his book to followup “Jesus of Nazareth” during his vacation.
6 comments
So when the Pope gets a cast, who gets to sign it? And does someone working close to him snag it when its taken off and keep is as a potential relic?
Amy: LOL
Hm, I wonder if he could still type. I’m so glad he’s okay though.
I’d also think not being able to play the piano (another favorite pastime of the Holy Father) has to be frustrating.
I also hope that this doesn’t interfere with the sequel to Jesus of Nazareth. I pray frequently that the Holy Father will be able to finish that!
After finding out that the Holy Father was OK, the next thought that entered my mind was: “Was it his writing hand?” Alas it was.
Yeah, I’m a Pope-geek!
Do you mind updating to my new blog please?