The Japan Times - Pope Francis receiving 'surge' in mail, says Italian post

The 88-year-old pontiff marked one month in Rome's Gemelli hospital Friday, where doctors now consider his condition stable and slowly improving after a critical period marked by breathing crises that risked his life.

Well-wishers have been flooding the city's postal service with letters "from the time of his hospitalisation until today," the postal service said in a statement.

The "surge" in correspondence was being felt at the postal service's Fiumicino sorting centre, with "up to 150 kilograms more mail per day," said the unit's head, Antonello Chidichimo.

"These days, the flow of letters and messages addressed to Pope Francis is particularly intense, a sign of the affection and closeness of the international community," said the statement.

In a bit of self-promotion, the postal service said it was playing a "fundamental role... in ensuring that every message of support and prayer reaches its destination".

The Vatican has yet to say when Francis could be released from the hospital, where he is in a special papal suite on the 10th floor.

On Friday, it again said the pope was "stable" after passing a "quiet night", but did not publish a medical bulletin in the evening as had been expected. The press office later said there was "no striking news to report".

On the anniversary of Francis's 12 years as pope Friday, his favourite football team -- Buenos Aires' San Lorenzo club -- posted a video message of support, with other messages arriving from Brazilian footballer Neymar and Italy's former player and manager Ciro Ferrara.

The Argentine pontiff has previously thanked well-wishers for their letters and prayers, noting their "affection and closeness".

In February, ten days after Francis was hospitalised, the Vatican published a message written by him in which he cited the "many messages of affection".

"I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children," wrote Francis.

M.Ito--JT