Pope Francis spent a calm night in the hospital as he continues to battle pneumonia, according to the Vatican. The 88-year-old pontiff has been receiving treatment in a special papal suite at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since February 14. Although he has faced several respiratory crises since his admission, his condition has been described as “stable” over the past few days, even though his overall clinical condition remains complex and his prognosis is guarded.
On Thursday, the pope released an audio message—the first time the world heard his voice since going into hospital. In the message, he thanked everyone for their prayers, even as he sounded weak and breathless. Despite his ongoing treatment, which includes switching between an oxygen mask at night and a high-flow oxygen cannula during the day, Pope Francis managed some work and physiotherapy on Friday. He also spent about 20 minutes in prayer in the small chapel inside his papal suite.
The Vatican has been providing regular updates on the pope’s condition for greater transparency. While there was no detailed bulletin on Friday evening due to the stability of his condition, the next update is expected later on Saturday.
In previous hospital stays, the pope made public appearances on the Gemelli balcony for his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer, but he has missed the last three, and no plans have been announced for an appearance this weekend. This is the longest and most serious hospitalization during his papacy, adding to his past health challenges, which have included colon surgery in 2021 and a hernia operation in 2023.
