Speculation after photo

Pope’s swollen hand worries the faithful

It is the first picture of the Holy Father since he was admitted to the Gemelli Clinic. Believers are worried about the swollen hand.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE / EPA)

The first photo of Pope Francis after 31 days in hospital is causing discussion and much speculation around the globe. Although the Argentinian man of God can be seen without a nasal probe, his right hand looks extremely swollen. 

The picture shows the pontiff sitting in a wheelchair in the chapel of Gemelli Hospital. His face can only be seen from the side. However, his right hand is particularly striking: it is clearly swollen in the photo. Experts suspect that the swelling could have been caused by intravenous therapy and intensive hydration.

The President of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine, Nicola Montano, also explained that such swelling often occurs in patients who are treated intravenously for a long time. The prolonged oxygen therapy could also have led to localized fluid accumulation, he said.

"The Pope," explains the specialist, "was ventilated and hydrated for a long time. The swelling on his hand could have been caused locally by the therapies, as infusions can sometimes be applied to the hand."

Pope must be able to work independently for discharge
According to Montano, it is too early to predict a possible release date. "For that, the Pope would have to be able to breathe more independently. An essential prerequisite for this would be the end of high-flow oxygen therapy." Although an improvement is beginning to be seen - the Pope has not suffered a respiratory crisis for two weeks - it is still unclear when the non-invasive high-flow ventilation can be stopped.

No medical bulletin was published on Monday evening, but the Vatican press office said that the slight improvement had been achieved thanks to breathing exercises and physiotherapy.

Francis has been at the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide since March 2013. Last Thursday was exactly twelve years since he was elected as the successor to the then resigning German Pope Benedict XVI. At the age of 88, the Argentinian-born Pope is now the second oldest Pontifex Maximus in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.