While Pope Francis cleared his Friday schedule to spend the day at home in Casa Santa Marta with a "feverish episode," by Saturday he was back to work.
On March 27, the 86-year-old Pope addressed participants at a conference promoted by the Jesuit magazine La Civiltà Cattolica in conjunction with Georgetown University.
On May 26, the director of the Vatican press office, Matteo Bruni, reported that Pope Francis had been unable to receive anyone in audience that morning. In the afternoon, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin explained that the Pontiff was "tired" after a "very, very intense" schedule the day before: On Thursday, May 25, Pope Francis had eight appointments in the morning and a meeting with the Scholas occurrentes educational network in the afternoon, where he greeted each of the young people.
But after his day of rest, the Argentinian Pontiff gave a long speech, lasting almost a quarter of an hour, to the participants in the La Civiltà Cattolica congress mid-morning on Saturday. Leaving aside his notes, he even joked with the magazine's director, Jesuit priest Antonio Spadaro.
On Sunday, May 28, Pope Francis will celebrate Pentecost Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at 10 am. On Monday, he will present the Paul VI Prize to Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
