Pope is in ‘critical’ condition after suffering ‘asthmatic respiratory crisis,’ Vatican says – CNN

Pope Francis has received high flows of oxygen after suffering a respiratory crisis but had a peaceful night in hospital, the Vatican said.

“The night passed quietly, the pope rested,” the Holy See Press Office said in a brief statement early Sunday morning, without offering details on his latest condition.

Francis remains in “critical” condition and developed an “asthmatic respiratory crisis” on Saturday, the Vatican said earlier.

The Vatican said Francis will remain in hospital following his pneumonia diagnosis in both lungs and did not deliver the weekly Angelus prayer Sunday – for only the third time in his almost 12-year papacy.

Vatican sources meanwhile said that the pope was receiving additional oxygen and that the results of further tests would be known later.

The 88-year-old pontiff said his treatment continues and thanked medical staff for their dedication in the text of Sunday’s sermon, which was sent to the press in advance.

“I am confidently continuing my hospitalization at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment; and rest is also part of the therapy!” the advance prayer text reads.

The pope also mentions the third anniversary of the war against Ukraine, while praying for the “gift of peace in Palestine, Israel and throughout the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu and Sudan.”

The pope’s condition “also required the application of oxygen at high flows,” the Vatican said in Saturday’s update about the ailing pontiff.

While Francis “continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair,” he is “in more pain than yesterday,” it added.

He also received blood transfusions to treat anemia, according to the statement.

The pope’s condition had seemed better earlier in the week, with the Vatican describing him as responding “positively” to medical treatment for pneumonia on Thursday.

“Is the pope out of danger? No. Both doors are open. Is he at risk of immediate death? No. The therapy needs time to work,” said Sergio Alfieri, a surgeon who has previously operated on the pope, to reporters on Friday.

The pontiff was admitted to a clinic in Rome on February 14, and initially underwent tests for a respiratory tract infection. He was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs after a later CT scan.

Francis, who is from Argentina, has a vulnerability to respiratory infections. As a young man, he suffered a severe bout of pneumonia that led to the removal of part of one lung.

In 2021, doctors also surgically removed part of his colon in relation to diverticulitis, which can cause inflammation or infection of the colon. He was hospitalized with bronchitis in 2023, and in recent months has had two falls where he bruised his chin and hurt his arm, which was put into a sling.

This is the second-longest time Francis has spent in hospital since his election as pope and on Monday will break the record.

His doctors have advised “complete rest.” Even so, he has continued to do some work, including on the first two days of hospitalization, holding his daily phone call to Rev. Gabriel Romanelli and his assistant, Father Yusuf Asad, in Gaza City, northern Gaza. They have been in frequent contact since Israel launched its bombing campaign and siege on the enclave, following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks.

Francis has also been signing off decisions in the clinic, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told CNN. Until now, only his “closest collaborators” have visited him, the spokesperson told reporters. On Wednesday, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited him for 20 minutes.

“We joked as always. He hasn’t lost his proverbial sense of humor,” the prime minister said in a statement.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Sana Noor Haq and Billy Stockwell contributed reporting.
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Source: https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/21/europe/pope-francis-rome-hospital-pneumonia-one-week-intl/index.html