Pope Francis, 88, ‘critical’ after suffering ‘prolonged respiratory crisis’ as Vatican leader has ‘blood transfusion’

POPE Francis is now in a critical condition after suffering a "prolonged respiratory crisis" on Saturday. The Pontiff has also undergone multiple blood transfusions and is "more unwell than yesterday," the Vatican announced in an update. The 88-year-old is said to be alert and in an armchair but in pain and suffering from symptoms of anemia.

The Vatican said on Saturday evening: "The Holy Father's condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday, the Pope is not out of danger. "This morning Pope Francis presented a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis, which also required the application of high-flow oxygen.

"Today's blood tests also revealed thrombocytopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions. "The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair even if he was suffering more than yesterday. "At the moment the prognosis is reserved".

He was admitted to hospital on February 14 and has been forced to pull out of official engagements. The Pontiff has been suffering from pneumonia in both lungs and continues to undergo treatment at Rome's Gemelli Hospital. Earlier on Saturday, the Vatican shared a short update saying the Pope had "rested well", as Catholics across the world hold out hope that he gets better.

It came after The Vatican warned on Monday that a longer hospital stay was needed in the face of a "complex clinical picture" which involved a "polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract". Francis was then said to have been in a "stable" condition a few days later.

The Vatican added that his respiratory infection also involved asthmatic bronchitis, which required the use of an extensive antibiotic treatment. A previous statement said: "The chest CT scan that the Holy Father underwent this afternoon [...] demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia that required further pharmacological therapy.".

Pope Francis has suffered several health scares during his 13 years as the head of the Catholic Church. The Pope had part of his lung removed as a young man in Argentina, meaning he is particularly vulnerable to pulmonary conditions. Francis has reportedly warned his aides that he might not survive his battle this time.

Despite the Vatican previously saying Francis' condition was stable, the new reports suggest he fears he will soon die and is "tying up loose ends" ahead of his successor. The pontiff has reportedly been suffering with intense pain, according to two aides.

Despite this, the Pope said he was in good spirits and thanked people for their prayers for his speedy recovery. Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's former Minister of Culture, suggested Francis could resign if he felt unable to carry on his duties. The cardinal told Italian radio station RTL: "There is no doubt that the Pope could decide to resign if he found himself in a situation in which his ability to have direct contact with people and to communicate in an immediate, incisive and decisive manner was compromised.".