The Vatican announced, on Saturday evening, that the health status of Pope Francis (88 years old) is still “embarrassed”, speaking about a “respiratory asthma crisis”.
The Vatican said in a statement: “The condition of the Pope is still critical, and not outside the circle of danger. This morning, Pope Francis suffered a long respiratory asthma crisis, which required the use of high flow oxygen.”
The Vatican said that the Pope would not appear publicly tomorrow, Sunday, to lead the usual weekly mass, for the second week in a row. Pope Francis is receiving treatment at Gemili Hospital in Rome, as he entered the hospital on February 14 after he suffered from breathing difficulties for several days.
His medical team gave conflicting signals about his health, as he mentioned to reporters, on Friday, that although Pope Francis is not out of the circle of danger, he does not suffer from a situation that threatens his life at the present time. The Vatican issued a very brief statement today, Saturday, saying that the Pope “rested well” during the night. However, unlike the previous two days, the statement did not mention whether he had woke up or had breakfast. Later, the Press Office of the Holy See said that the text of the Sunday prayer will be published instead of reading it.
It is believed that this is the first time that the Pope missed Sunday for two consecutive weeks for health reasons. After undergoing bowel surgery in 2021, he led the prayer after only one week, and he was absent from one prayer in 2023 after another surgery. Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can cause inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs, which makes breathing more difficult. The Vatican described the infection that the Pope suffers as “complicated”, saying that it is caused by two or more microorganisms.
