ROME – Pope Francis is recovering from double pneumonia, and doctors have shared some positive updates. After over three weeks in the hospital, the 88-year-old pope is responding well to treatment, showing gradual but slight improvement in recent days.
The Vatican’s latest update on Sunday mentioned that Francis had a peaceful night and was resting. This marks the fourth consecutive Sunday that the pope will not be conducting his weekly noon blessing. However, the Vatican intends to release the text of his blessing that he would have offered if he were feeling better.
Pope Francis, originally from Argentina, suffers from chronic lung issues. Having undergone surgery to remove part of one lung in his youth, his current condition has been stable. Doctors have noted that he has had no fever and has maintained good oxygen levels in his blood over the past few days, as indicated in a Vatican statement released on Saturday.
The doctors said that such stability “as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy.” It was the first time the doctors had reported that Francis was responding positively to the treatment for the complex lung infection that was diagnosed after he was hospitalized on Feb. 14.
But they kept his prognosis as “guarded”, meaning he’s not out of danger.
In his absence, the Vatican’s day-to-day operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings millions of pilgrims to Rome. On Sunday, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is close to Francis, celebrates the Holy Year Mass for volunteers that Francis was supposed to have celebrated.
Francis has been using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask at night.
Francis was hospitalized Feb. 14 for what was then just a bad case of bronchitis. The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis for the longest period of his 12-year papacy and raised questions about the future.
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