New update on Pope Francis amid lengthy health battle

The Vatican has given another update on the health of Pope Francis, who is continuing to battle pneumonia in hospital.

Pope Francis, in hospital with pneumonia, is responding well to treatment, the Vatican said in its latest update, adding that the 88-year-old’s condition had seen “a gradual, slight improvement”.

The Argentine pontiff’s condition has been described as “stable” after he suffered several respiratory crises since being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14.

Pope Francis has been in hospital since February 14. Picture: AFP

“The clinical conditions of the Holy Father in recent days have remained stable and, consequently, demonstrate a good response to therapy,” the Vatican said.

“Therefore, a gradual, slight improvement is recorded.”

Though Pope Francis does not have a fever, his doctors want the same positive results “in the coming days” before giving a prognosis, the Vatican said in the evening bulletin.

The Pope prayed on Saturday morning, local time, inside the chapel belonging to the special papal suite on the hospital’s 10th floor, while in the afternoon he alternated rest with work, the Vatican said.

‘PROGNOSIS REMAINS GUARDED’

In a an earlier statement, the Vatican said Pope Francis had a good night and was continuing to rest.

The Vatican said in a statement: “The night passed quietly; the Pope is resting.”

The Pope spent the day alternating between prayer, rest, and work, as his respiratory physiotherapy continued on Friday.

“During the day, the Pope uses nasal cannulas for high-flow oxygenation, while at night he utilises non-invasive mechanical ventilation,” it noted, adding that his “prognosis remains guarded.”

Pope Francis’s condition remained stable but complex on Friday, a day after releasing an audio message in which the pontiff sounded weak and breathless.

The message broadcast to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on Thursday evening was the first time the world had heard the pope’s voice since he was admitted to Gemelli hospital.

Pope Francis arrives to take part in the "Eco-Educational Cities" conference organised by Scholas Ocurrentes and aimed at promoting education and sustainability on May 25, 2023 at the Augustinian Patristic Pontifical Institute in Rome.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square. I accompany you from here,” the Pope said, sounding weak and taking laboured breaths.

“May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.”

The Argentine spoke in his native Spanish, drawing speculation he could not muster the strength to speak in Italian, which is used for official Vatican business.

But a Vatican source insisted Francis wanted to speak in a language that would have a wider audience.

When the message was broadcast in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica, where prayers have been held every evening for the pope, applause broke out among the hundreds of pilgrims gathered there.

Flowers are laid at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli University Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalised with pneumonia, in Rome.

In a bid for greater transparency, the Vatican has been publishing an update on how the pope slept every morning, followed by a more detailed medical bulletin each evening.

It said Thursday that “in view of the stability of the clinical picture”, there would be no medical bulletin on Friday evening, with the next due on Saturday.

Nonetheless, “the doctors are still maintaining a reserved prognosis”, it said, meaning they will not say how they expect his condition to evolve.

Faithfuls light candles for Pope Francis at Piramide de Mayo monument during a Torchlight March in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

During previous hospitalisations, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics appeared on the Gemelli balcony for his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer.

But he has missed the last three, and no announcement has yet been made about whether he will make an appearance this weekend.

He has suffered a series of health issues in recent years, from colon surgery in 2021 to a hernia operation in 2023, but this is the longest and most serious hospitalisation of his papacy.

On Monday March 3, Francis “experienced two episodes of acute respiratory failure, caused by a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm”, the Vatican said.

Francis’s health has regularly led to speculation, particularly among his critics, as to whether he could resign like his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

— with AFP