Rome
CNN
Pope Francis has been in the hospital for over a week. Sadly, his health is being reported as “critical.” On Saturday, he experienced a serious respiratory issue associated with asthma, according to the Vatican.
The Vatican stated, “This morning, Pope Francis had an asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high-flow oxygen.” He is also being treated for pneumonia.
While he remains alert and spent part of the day in an armchair, the pope is feeling more pain than the previous day.
Additionally, he received blood transfusions on Saturday due to anemia.
Earlier, the Vatican announced that Francis would continue to be hospitalized. He will miss the weekly Angelus prayer, marking only the third time in nearly 12 years of papacy that he has been unable to deliver it.
This week had given some hope, as the Vatican had reported positive responses to his pneumonia treatment as of Thursday.
Surgeon Sergio Alfieri, who has previously operated on the pope, told reporters, “Is the pope out of danger? No, but he is not at immediate risk of death. The treatment needs time.”
Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on February 14 after tests revealed a respiratory tract infection, which later was diagnosed as pneumonia in both lungs.
Coming from Argentina, Francis has a history of respiratory issues, having suffered a severe bout of pneumonia in his youth that required part of one lung to be removed.
In 2021, he underwent surgery to address colon issues. Earlier in 2023, he was hospitalized for bronchitis and recently faced two falls that resulted in injuries.
This hospitalization marks his third-longest stay in a hospital since he became pope.
Despite doctors advising him to rest, Francis has stayed active. He managed to hold phone calls with contacts in Gaza amid ongoing conflicts.
He has also continued to sign important documents from his hospital bed, with only close collaborators visiting him. Notably, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently visited him for a brief chat, sharing that they shared some jokes together.
Outside of the hospital, people are praying for the pope worldwide. From Argentina to the Vatican, many have gathered in candle-lit churches to ask for his recovery. One parishioner in Buenos Aires shared, “We always keep him in our prayers.”
A tourist near St. Peter’s Basilica expressed hope that the pope has “many strong years ahead.” At the hospital, children from the oncology department have sent letters and drawings filled with love and encouragement.
Residents in Rome voiced their hopes for the pope’s speedy recovery. Gaetano Bavagnini remarked, “He is an extraordinary man and an extraordinary pope.”
