Pope Francis spent a quiet night in hospital, the Vatican said on Saturday, as the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church continues his fight against pneumonia.
“The night was calm, the pope is resting,” the Vatican stated in a brief morning update on the Argentine pontiff, who has been in a special papal suite at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since February 14.
Since his admission, Francis has experienced several respiratory crises, the most recent occurring on Monday. However, in recent days, the Vatican has described his condition as “stable.”
Despite this, he remains in a “complex clinical condition,” and “the prognosis remains guarded,” the Vatican said on Friday.
On Thursday, the pope released an audio message—the first time his voice had been heard publicly since his hospitalisation—expressing gratitude for the prayers offered for his recovery.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square. I accompany you from here,” he said, speaking in a weak and breathless tone, pausing every few words to catch his breath.
While Francis did some work and physiotherapy on Friday, he primarily rested and prayed, including spending about 20 minutes in the small chapel inside the hospital’s papal suite, according to the Vatican.
He continues to alternate between an oxygen mask at night and a high-flow oxygen cannula—a plastic tube inserted into the nostrils—during the day.
In an effort to maintain transparency, the Vatican has been providing daily morning updates on how the pope slept, followed by a more detailed medical bulletin each evening.
On Thursday, however, the Vatican announced that “given the stability of the clinical picture,” there would be no medical bulletin on Friday evening. The next update is expected later on Saturday.
During past hospitalisations, Francis has appeared on the Gemelli balcony for his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer. However, he has missed the last three, and no announcement has been made regarding whether he will make an appearance this weekend.
The pope has faced several health challenges in recent years, including colon surgery in 2021 and a hernia operation in 2023. However, this hospitalisation has been the longest and most serious of his papacy.
AFP
