VATICAN CITY — U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke has been hospitalized and put on a ventilator less than one week after telling people he tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.
His official Twitter account @cardinalrlburke published a tweet Aug. 14 saying: “Cardinal Burke has been admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 and is being assisted by a ventilator. Doctors are encouraged by his progress.”
The tweet said the cardinal had “faithfully prayed the rosary for those suffering from the virus. On this vigil of the Assumption, let us now pray the rosary for him.”
The cardinal had first tweeted Aug. 10: “Praised be Jesus Christ! I wish to inform you that I have recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Thanks be to God, I am resting comfortably and receiving excellent medical care. Please pray for me as I begin my recovery. Let us trust in Divine Providence. God bless you.”
The cardinal has not made it public knowledge on whether he was vaccinated for the 2019 novel coronavirus.
The Vatican had started offering all Vatican residents, retirees and employees the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech mid-January 2021. The 73-year-old cardinal was eligible for the vaccine as a member of the College of Cardinals and a member of the Apostolic Signatura, which he led as prefect from 2008 until his resignation in 2014.
