The pope was hospitalized on Feb. 14 after experiencing bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis that soon led to a polymicrobial infection.
Pope Francis is conscious, still receiving supplemental oxygen, and remains in critical condition with a complex lung infection after suffering a respiratory crisis, the Vatican said on Feb. 23.
The pope, 88, was hospitalized at the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome on Feb. 14 after experiencing bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis that soon led to a polymicrobial infection. He reportedly struggled to speak at one of his meetings earlier the same day.
On Feb. 18, the Vatican said Pope Francis had contracted pneumonia in both lungs, noting “the laboratory examinations, thoracic x-ray, and clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to present a complex picture.”
By Saturday, the Vatican said the pontiff “is not out of danger” as he remains in critical condition, requiring “the administration of high-flow oxygen.”
As a young man, Pope Francis had part of one lung removed after a pulmonary infection and he often experiences bouts of bronchitis in the winter.
In Sunday’s statement, the Vatican did not mention whether the pope was out of bed or eating breakfast but said, “The night passed quietly, the pope rested.”
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However, the Vatican noted that Pope Francis is conscious and continues to receive supplemental oxygen and further clinical tests. More medical updates are expected later on Sunday.
The Vatican said he has received “high flows” of oxygen to assist in breathing through a nasal tube and was given blood transfusions after tests indicated low platelet counts, which are necessary for clotting.
In its Saturday statement, the Vatican mentioned that the pontiff “continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more discomfort than yesterday.” According to doctors, his prognosis is “reserved,” which means they are uncertain about the likely outcome of his condition.
The uncertainty in his condition is due to his age, fragility, and preexisting lung disease, leading to speculation over what would happen if he became unconscious or incapacitated.
As part of the Vatican’s yearlong Holy Year commemoration, the pope was scheduled to celebrate Mass on Sunday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica while ordaining deacons. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the organizer of the Holy Year, celebrated Mass in his place and delivered a special prayer for the pope from the altar before giving the homily he had prepared.
“Even though he is in a hospital bed, we feel Pope Francis close to us, we feel him present among us,” Fisichella told the hundreds of white-robed deacons. “And this compels us to make even stronger and more intense our prayer that the Lord will assist him in his time of trial and illness.”
Ryan Morgan, TJ Muscaro, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
