Pope Francis remains in critical condition at a Rome hospital after suffering what the Vatican called a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis” — but he had a peaceful night’s rest.
The 88-year-old spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic church has been hospitalized for more than a week after suffering double pneumonia. At about 1:30 p.m. New York time Saturday, however, the Vatican reported that the pope suffered a serious setback that required blood transfusions.
“The Holy Father remains alert and has spent the day in a chair, though he is more unwell than yesterday. At the moment, the prognosis remains guarded,” the Vatican said.
Doctors spoke to reporters for the first time about the pontiff’s condition on Friday evening. They said Francis is not yet out of danger but his condition is not currently life-threatening.
On Sunday, however, the Vatican reported that Francis awoke from a peaceful night’s rest. The pontiff offered a message on X (formerly Twitter) thanking all “for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world.”
His medical team emphasized that the pope is not attached to a ventilator, although he is still struggling with his breathing and consequently keeping his physical movements limited.
Nevertheless, the pope was sitting upright in a chair, working and joking as usual, the doctors said.
The pope’s clinical picture remains complex. The team led by Sergio Alfieri from the Gemelli Hospital and Luigi Carbone, Francis’ personal physician, assume that Francis will have to remain in hospital for at least the next week.
However, they did not give any more precise details, as possible complications are unforeseeable, according to the doctors. Complications must be prevented at all costs, they stressed.
Francis began his papacy in March 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI, who had become the first pontiff to resign in more than five centuries. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentinian native Francis has been a more progressive pope than his predecessors, championing issues such as mercy, helping the poor, and increasing dialogue with different faiths.
In 2015, Pope Francis paid a visit to New York as part of a U.S. tour, offering Mass at Madison Square Garden along with also holding a prayer service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and visiting the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. More than a third of all New Yorkers identify as Roman Catholic.
Updated on Feb. 23 at 10:45 a.m.
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