ROME – Pope Francis received positive news on Tuesday as his doctors upgraded his prognosis, stating that he is no longer facing an immediate risk of death due to the double pneumonia that has kept him hospitalized for almost a month, marking the most serious health threat during his 12-year papacy.
The 88-year-old pontiff’s condition has improved, but he is not completely in the clear yet. The medical team remains cautious and has opted to keep him in the hospital for a few more days for continued treatment and potential rehabilitation.
Although there is still a need for vigilance, the doctors have reported that his overall health has stabilized and shown signs of progress through recent blood tests and positive response to the treatment. Despite his ongoing battle with chronic lung issues, Pope Francis continues to require supplementary oxygen during the day and a ventilation mask at night to aid his breathing.
In an early update Tuesday, the Vatican said Francis woke up around 8 a.m. after a quiet night. The Argentine Jesuit has regularly been sleeping in while at Gemelli hospital, given his usual wakeup time at the Vatican is around 4:30 a.m.
Late Monday, doctors lifted their “guarded” prognosis for the pope, meaning they determined he was no longer in imminent danger as a result of the original respiratory infection he arrived with on Feb. 14. But their caution remained, given Francis’ fragility and risks of other complications.
“In view of the complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented on admission, it will be necessary to continue medical drug therapy in a hospital setting for additional days,” the Vatican statement said.
In a sign of his improved health, Francis followed the Vatican’s weeklong spiritual retreat via videoconference on Monday in both the morning and afternoon sessions, something he was likely to continue to do through the week.
The retreat, an annual gathering that kicks off the Catholic Church’s solemn Lenten season leading to Easter, continues through Friday. The Vatican has said Francis would participate “in spiritual communion” with the rest of the hierarchy, from afar.
Francis could see and hear the Rev. Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household, but the priests, bishops, cardinals and nuns gathered for the retreat in the Vatican auditorium could not see or hear him.
Pasolini is delivering a series of meditations this week on “The hope of eternal life,” a theme that was chosen well before Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 with a complex lung infection.
Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, had what was just a bad case of bronchitis when he was hospitalized last month. The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis and raised questions about the future.
He was still keeping his eye on things, however. The Vatican said he had been informed about the floods in his native Argentina, sent a telegram of condolences and expressed his closeness to the affected population.
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