Pope Francis’ condition is reportedly “improving” as he is receiving high-flow oxygen therapy and bench mask treatment, according to a Vatican statement.
“Given the complexity of his condition, there is a need for further days of clinical stability to resolve the prognosis,” the Vatican statement read.
The balloon is attached to a statue of John Paul II, where people come to pray outside the Gemeri Hospital. There, Pope Francis was hospitalized on Sunday due to Rome pneumonia. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)
Pope Francis was injured as the Vatican confirmed a second decline in weeks of problems
The 88-year-old bishop was hospitalized on February 14th due to respiratory problems and was later diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
“The Holy Father alternated with rest and alternating mornings to each other, and after another physical therapy session in the afternoon, they gathered in the chapel of their private apartment on the 10th floor to receive the Eucharist. He then focused on his work activities,” the Vatican added.
The woman will place the rosary on Saturday in Rome on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemeri Hospital where Pope Francis is approved for treatment. (Reuters/Vincenzo Rivieri)
Pope Francis’s medical condition: What you need to know about bilateral pneumonia
On Wednesday, the Vatican said Pope Francis’ doctors detected recently detected kidney failure, showing slight improvements in blood tests, and chest CT scans showed he was taking “normal evolution” while his complex lung infection was being treated.
When writing about the Pope’s condition on Tuesday, Dr. Mark Siegel, a senior medical analyst at Fox News Channel, explained that bilateral pneumonia is “more problematic and more difficult to recover” due to “elderly patients with scars from previous surgery or attacks of pneumonia.”
Pope Francis is waving from his popemovie after a weekly Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican in Rome on October 20, 2024. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty)
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The Pope has been working on health issues for many years, and in 1957 it was even necessary to remove some of his lungs.
Siegel also mentioned the pope receiving high-flow oxygen therapy, explaining that the treatment is used for respiratory problems, but “it’s not as aggressive as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or mechanical ventilation.” He noted that the Pope is not on a ventilator, a “good sign.”
“Don’t underestimate the implications of a large medical system that combines the power of prayer,” Siegel added.
Stephen Sorace of Fox News contributed to this report.
