A leading US Cardinal has been admitted to hospital and placed on a ventilator after contracting Covid-19. Cardinal Raymond Burke, who led the Archdiocese of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008, is said to be making good progress despite being assisted with his breathing.
A tweet posted to his official account called for prayers.
"Cardinal Burke has been admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 and is being assisted by a ventilator. Doctors are encouraged by his progress," it read. "H.E. faithfully prayed the Rosary for those suffering from the virus. On this Vigil of the Assumption, let us now pray the Rosary for him."
On August 11, Burke tweeted that he had "recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus" but that he was "resting comfortably and receiving excellent medical care".
"Please pray for me as I begin my recovery," he added. "Let us trust in Divine Providence. God bless you."
Cardinal Burke has expressed concern about the Covid-19 vaccine programme in the past, though it is unclear whether he has received the jab himself. At a conference in May 2020, the prelate remarked that “vaccination itself cannot be imposed, in a totalitarian manner, on citizens" and has echoed some conspiracy theories around the jab, including the notion that it contains a "microchip".
Burke has also insisted that the state “is not the ultimate provider of health" but "God is".