Pope Francis had another peaceful night at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, the Vatican said today.
Pope Francis slept peacefully during the night and woke up shortly after 8 a.m., the Vatican press service said.
They added that the pope’s general health was stable, including heart and kidney function and blood values.
The pope, who is 88, has had no new health crises since Monday, when he suffered two episodes of respiratory failure.
He began high-flow oxygen therapy and respiratory physiotherapy on Tuesday, and planned to continue non-invasive ventilation overnight.
The Vatican added that his prognosis remained uncertain and that Pope Francis spent most of yesterday resting and praying.
The pope has been in the hospital since February 14. The Vatican said on February 18 that he had developed bilateral pneumonia, which further complicated his condition.
A statement on February 21 stated that his life was not in immediate danger, but a day later his condition was described as critical after suffering a prolonged respiratory crisis similar to asthma.
The Vatican reported on February 26 and 27 that the pope’s condition had improved.
Last Friday, the pope underwent bronchoaspiration due to bronchospasm, the Vatican reported, and non-invasive mechanical ventilation allowed gas exchange in the lungs, to which the therapy gave a positive response.
As of Saturday, the pope is stable, but his prognosis remains uncertain.
Pope Francis was first admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in 2021, for colon surgery.
He has been using a wheelchair in recent years due to knee pain, and in 2023 he was treated in the hospital twice – once for respiratory problems that caused shortness of breath and the second time for abdominal surgery, during which he had a prosthesis implanted in his abdominal wall.
