Pope Francis, currently hospitalised with pneumonia in both lungs, had a stable night and is resting, the Vatican announced on Monday.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted on February 14 after experiencing breathing difficulties.
According to the short statement by the Vatican on Monday, “The night passed well, the pope slept and is resting,” the Vatican stated. This hospitalisation is the longest of his papacy.
Initially diagnosed with bronchitis, his condition worsened into pneumonia in both lungs. On Saturday night, the Vatican acknowledged for the first time that his condition had become critical.
On Sunday, officials confirmed he continues to receive “high-flow” oxygen through a nasal cannula. Blood tests also revealed an “initial, mild, renal failure, currently under control.”
Although Francis remains alert, the Vatican cautioned that “the complexity of the clinical picture, and the need to wait for the pharmacological treatments to have some effect, mean that the prognosis remains reserved.”
Abele Donati, head of the anaesthesia and intensive care unit at the Marche University Hospital, told Corriere della Sera that the renal failure “could signal the presence of sepsis in the early stages.”
“It is the body’s response to an ongoing infection, in this case of the two lungs,” he explained.
Professor Sergio Alfieri, the lead doctor treating the pope at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, warned at a press conference on Friday that “the real risk in these cases is that the germs pass into the blood,” which could result in sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition.
The pope’s extended hospitalization has caused widespread concern among Catholics around the world, with many praying for his recovery.
His health struggles have also reignited speculation about a possible resignation. While Pope Francis has previously said he could step down—following the example of his predecessor Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pope to resign since the Middle Ages—he has repeatedly stated that now is not the time.
