Pope Francis has spent his 17th night in hospital and is recovering from treatment, the Vatican said on Monday, a day after saying his health was stable. The Argentine-born Pope, head of the Catholic Church, was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on February 14 due to bronchitis. During treatment, he was also diagnosed with pneumonia.
The Vatican said he received treatment after experiencing breathing problems on Friday and was in “stable” condition on Saturday. “The Pope rested overnight,” the Catholic Church and Vatican City’s administrative body (Holy See) said in a brief update released Monday morning.
The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics required ‘non-invasive mechanical ventilation’, or ventilation masks, on Friday and Saturday and is still receiving large amounts of oxygen, the Vatican said on Sunday. He did not have a fever and had attended a mass on Sunday morning and was resting and praying for the rest of the day.
According to Vatican sources, 48 hours after Friday’s crisis, no further consequences have emerged from the incident. However, a statement issued by the Holy See said, “Given the complexity of his health report, it is not possible to draw any conclusions regarding his recovery.”
Francis had brief talks with the Vatican’s foreign minister, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra on Sunday. The Jesuit, who has been Pope since March 2013, is receiving treatment in a special suite reserved for the Pope on the 10th floor of the Gemelli. Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, did not participate in the traditional Angelus prayer for the third consecutive Sunday, but instead read a written message from the pope during the prayer.
In the message, the Pope thanked well-wishers for their prayers, saying, “I feel all your affection and closeness and, in this special time, I feel that I am ‘carried’ and supported by all the faithful of God. Thank you all.”
