The update comes as crowds gather outside the hospital. Pope Francis, hospitalised for two weeks with double pneumonia, is resting after a peaceful night, the Vatican said on Friday. The 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14.
He was initially diagnosed with bronchitis, which later developed into a more serious condition. The Vatican stated on Thursday that the Pope's condition "continued to show improvement" but that his prognosis remained guarded. An unnamed Vatican official noted that Thursday's statement was the second consecutive one that did not describe the Pope's condition as "critical", adding, "Maybe we can say he has passed the most critical phase.".
Cardinal Michael Czerny, head of the Vatican's human development office, told La Stampa newspaper that Francis was improving, albeit "slower than what we would like". Pope Francis, who has been the head of the Catholic Church since 2013, has experienced several health issues in recent years.
He uses a wheelchair or walker to get around and has had two intestinal surgeries since 2021. He is susceptible to lung infections due to pleurisy he developed as a young adult, which resulted in the removal of part of one lung. Double pneumonia, a severe infection affecting both lungs, can cause inflammation and scarring, leading to breathing difficulties.
The Vatican reported that Francis suffered a "prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis" on Saturday, but there have been no recurrences. Prayers for his health continue to be offered from around the world, with the dean of the College of Cardinals leading nightly Rosary prayers in St. Peter’s Square.
“We are gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray confidently that God will allow Pope Francis to resume his apostolic service as soon as possible, in the fullness of his physical strength and with that pastoral dynamism that characterises him,” Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said earlier in the week.
On Wednesday evening, trumpeter Felice Carella and singer Davide Capuano serenaded the pope with a rendition of Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’ under his 10th floor window. “For me this is not a simple song, this is a big prayer for the pope so that he will better,” Capuano said. “These are terrible days and I hope the whole world can pray together with us.”.
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