WATCH as Crowds Join to Pray for Pope Francis at the Vatican's St. Peter's Square with the Pope's Surprise Voice Message from Hospital

The Vatican released that before the start of the daily recitation of the Rosary in Saint Peter's square, an audio is broadcast with a greeting from Pope Francis, who is hospitalized, was heard by the faithful. As a sign of gratitude for the messages received the pope said: ""I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square, I accompany you from here. May God bless you and may the Virgin protect you. Thank you"

The crowd reacted with surprise and emotion on the part of the faithful gathered, for the eleventh evening in a row, to invoke the healing of the Pontiff. 

After twenty-one days of uninterrupted evening prayers, the voice of Pope Francis returns to resonate in St. Peter's Square for the first time. Around 9:00 PM this evening, before starting the eleventh recitation of the Rosary, an audio of less than 30 seconds in Spanish recorded by Francis at the Gemelli Polyclinic is broadcast over the public address system for the hundreds of faithful gathered in the square. It is Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (this evening he is leading the moment of prayer), who announces this "beautiful news" of the vocal message that Francis wanted to share with the world. A sign of gratitude from the Pontiff "touched by the numerous messages of affection that are sent to him daily, and grateful for the prayers of the people of God". "A beautiful gift," said the cardinal, "for us who are here and for everyone in the world: so many Catholics and Christians, women and men of good will who are close to him and pray for him."

 Many nuns, numerous priests, a group of young people are also present with hands clasped around the rosaries.  Many people enter while the Schola Cantorum chants the hymn to the Madonna.  Cardinal Artime waits for the end of the applause to begin the recitation of the Luminous Mysteries.

“We gather in prayer for the health of the Holy Father Francis with Mary, Mother of the Church and of Good Counsel,” says the Salesian cardinal. Behind him, as it has done for the past eleven nights, stands the icon of  Mary Mater Ecclesiae , which seems to watch over the ranks of cardinals, bishops, priests, and religious of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome arranged in the churchyard and over the crowd of people of different ages and nationalities united by a single plea: the recovery of the Pope.

The cardinal turns to Mary so that "no obstacle may make us deviate from the path that leads to salvation". The assembly intones the ancient prayer of the Oremus pro Pontifice  nostro . The prayer for "our" Pontiff, Francis. The Pope who has been distant for more than twenty days, but today, in some way, present.

Source: Vatican News It