Pope Francis’s health has shown slight improvement, but the 88-year-old Pontiff remains in a critical condition, according to an update from the Vatican. The Pope, who has been hospitalized for over a week due to respiratory and kidney complications, continues to receive oxygen therapy while doctors closely monitor his progress.
The latest statement from the Vatican on Monday evening indicated that the Pope had not suffered any further asthmatic respiratory attacks, and some of his laboratory test results had improved. His kidney condition, initially described as a concern, has now been classified as “slight” and not alarming. Despite these positive signs, doctors have refrained from issuing a prognosis, underscoring the severity of his condition.
Encouragingly, Vatican sources revealed that the Pope has been eating normally and can move, ruling out fears of sepsis, which had been identified as a major risk by his medical team. He is not bedridden and was able to carry out some light duties on Monday, including reading and signing documents.
During his hospitalization, the Pope has maintained his tradition of calling a Catholic parish in Gaza most evenings. The Vatican confirmed that he resumed this practice on Monday, reaching out to express his fatherly concern for those affected by the ongoing war in the region.
On Sunday, Pope Francis asked Catholics worldwide to pray for him after he missed the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square for the second consecutive week. In response, cardinals in Rome, along with members of the Vatican curia and local clergy, have begun gathering outside St. Peter’s Basilica each evening to pray the Rosary for his recovery. Monday evening’s prayer session was led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
The Pope’s health has been a subject of concern throughout his papacy. Having survived pleurisy as a young man, which resulted in the partial removal of one lung, he remains highly vulnerable to respiratory infections such as pneumonia. He has been hospitalized multiple times during his 12-year tenure, including treatment for bronchitis in March 2023.
Born in Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American and first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church. As he battles this health crisis, the global Catholic community continues to pray for his recovery, hoping that the improvements seen in recent days will lead to further stabilization.
