Pope Francis spent Saturday night calmly after a bronchospasm crisis and related deterioration of his breathing he did not experience another crisis and his condition is stabilizing, according to the Vatican.
The Vatican issued a statement late Saturday about the condition of the 88-year-old spiritual leader of Catholics and head of state of the Vatican, who has been hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for 15 days due to severe bronchitis he contracted in early February and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
“The Holy Father's clinical condition remains stable. He is alternating between non-invasive mechanical ventilation and long periods of supplemental high-flow oxygenation, maintaining a good response to gas exchange,” it said.
The statement said the pope's hemodynamic parameters remained stable. “He continued to feed and actively cooperated by doing respiratory physiotherapy regularly. He did not have an attack of bronchospasm.”
“The Pope remains in good humor. Today he prayed in the chapel near his hospital room for around twenty minutes,” it added.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as Pope Benedict XVI's successor at the age of 76 on March 13, 2013, and took the name Francis.
- Timeline of Pope’s hospitalization
The pontiff has been at the hospital since Feb. 14 and is being treated for double pneumonia.
The Vatican announced Feb. 18 that the pope developed bilateral pneumonia and his clinical condition was complicated.
A Feb. 21 statement said doctors indicated Francis' life was not in danger, although he was not completely out of danger.
One day later, his condition was said to be critical after he suffered an asthma attack.
On Feb. 24, the Vatican stated that although Francis' health remained critical, slight improvement was observed, and Feb. 25, it described the situation as critical but stable.
On Feb. 26 and 27, the Vatican reported that the pope's condition had improved.
In a statement late Friday, the Vatican said the pope underwent broncho-aspiration due to a bronchospasm crisis and that mechanical ventilation was initiated to ensure gas exchange -- adequate intake of oxygen and adequate removal of carbon dioxide -- and the treatment received a positive response.
- Increasing health problems
Francis was admitted to Gemelli Hospital for the first time in 2021 where he underwent colon surgery.
The pope, who has been using a wheelchair in recent years due to pain in his knee, was treated at the hospital twice in 2023 -- once for shortness of breath and for an operation to place a prosthesis on his abdominal wall.
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