Doctors have not indicated how much longer Francis will be hospitalized.
In Rome, Italy, Pope Francis is now in the fifth week of being treated for double pneumonia, and his recovery continues to show positive progress.
The Vatican recently announced that it will provide updates on his medical condition less frequently, which is seen as a positive development. Additionally, the Vatican has stopped issuing daily morning reports on the pope’s sleep and morning routine.
While doctors have stated that the 88-year-old pope is no longer in critical condition, they emphasize that his recovery remains complex due to his age, limited mobility, and the fact that he lost part of a lung when he was young.
Francis was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak. Doctors soon added a diagnosis of double pneumonia and a polymicrobial (bacterial, viral and fungal) infection.
The first three weeks of his hospitalization were marked by a rollercoaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit.
But medical updates this week have focused on his continued physical and respiratory therapy, as well as the rotation from high-flow oxygen through nostril tubes during the day and a non-invasive ventilation mask at night to help ensure his rest. An X-ray this week confirmed that the infection was clearing.
With little more to report, doctors on Friday canceled a planned medical update. The next is to be issued later Saturday. Doctors have not indicated how much longer Francis will be hospitalized.
The pope this week participated in Lenten spiritual exercises from the hospital, which Vatican officials have said implied a lighter workload. He received a cake and hundreds of messages wishing him well on the 12th anniversary of his papacy Thursday.
The only public sign of life from the pope since his hospitalization was a recorded audio message thanking people for their prayers for his recovery in a weak and labored voice. It was played in St. Peter’s Square for the faithful gathered for a nightly recitation of the rosary prayer.
For the last four Sundays, the traditional blessing that the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square has been released as a text.
