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Pope Francis [Credit: AFP]
Pope Francis spent a quiet night in hospital, the Vatican said on Sunday, a day after confirming that the 88-year-old was in a “critical” condition.
The Holy See had announced late on Saturday that the pope, who had been hospitalised since 14 February, suffered a prolonged respiratory attack and required blood transfusions.
“The night passed peacefully, and the pope rested,” the Vatican said in a brief update on Sunday morning.
The Argentine pontiff, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was initially admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital with bronchitis, which later developed into double pneumonia.
“The Holy Father’s condition remains critical; therefore, as explained on Friday, the pope is not out of danger,” the Vatican stated in a medical bulletin on Saturday evening.
“At present, his prognosis remains uncertain.”
Francis remains alert and “spent the day in an armchair, although he was suffering more than the previous day,” the Vatican said.
It reported that on Saturday morning, he had suffered a “prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen.”
Daily blood tests also “revealed thrombocytopenia, associated with anaemia, necessitating blood transfusions,” it added.
Thrombocytopenia is a condition in which a person’s platelet count is dangerously low, making it difficult to stop bleeding and potentially life-threatening.
Blood or platelet transfusions, administered via an intravenous (IV) line, are given to patients who are either bleeding heavily or at high risk of severe bleeding, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“The pope is deteriorating,” headlined Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper on Sunday, while La Repubblica described it as “the darkest day” at the Vatican.
“The situation is becoming increasingly concerning,” Fabrizio Pregliasco, a leading Italian virologist, told La Stampa newspaper, adding that “the next few hours and days will be crucial.”
Prayers for the Pope
The Vatican had already confirmed that Francis would not deliver his usual weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday, instead opting to have the text published, as was done last weekend.
The pontiff has previously delivered the prayer from the balcony of Gemelli Hospital, where he is staying in a special papal suite on the 10th floor.
A group of nuns and priests from around the world gathered outside the hospital entrance on Saturday to pray for the pope.
They also sang hymns near the statue of former Pope John Paul II, where well-wishers have left candles bearing Francis’s image.
“We are praying today for the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and we hope he recovers well by the Grace of God,” Brazilian priest Don Wellison told AFP.
Francis has stated that the papacy is a lifelong role but has also left open the possibility of resigning, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did.
In 2013, the German theologian became the first pope since the Middle Ages to voluntarily step down, citing his declining physical and mental health.
Francis has repeatedly said it is not yet time for him to resign, but his illness has reignited questions about his ability to lead the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Catholics.
The pope maintains a demanding schedule and, in September, undertook a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region.
However, he has faced increasing health challenges, including colon surgery in July 2021 and a hernia operation in 2023.
He is also overweight and suffers from chronic hip and knee pain, which requires him to use a wheelchair most of the time.
AFP
