Pope Francis no longer in imminent danger, doctors say, but remains in hospital

The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 4:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Pope Francis is nary longer successful imminent information of decease arsenic a effect of pneumonia that has kept him hospitalized for astir a month, doctors said Monday, but they person decided to support him hospitalized for respective much days to person treatment.

In a precocious update, the doctors said the 88-year-old Pope remains unchangeable and has consolidated improvements successful caller days, arsenic determined by humor tests and affirmative responses to cause treatments.

The Vatican said the doctors had lifted their erstwhile "guarded" prognosis, meaning they determined helium was nary longer successful imminent information arsenic a effect of the archetypal respiratory corruption helium arrived with connected Feb. 14. But caution remained.

"However, successful presumption of the complexity of the objective representation and the important infectious representation presented connected admission, it volition beryllium indispensable to proceed aesculapian cause therapy successful a infirmary mounting for further days," according to the Vatican statement.

In a motion of his improved health, Francis followed the Vatican's weeklong spiritual retreat via video league connected Monday successful some the greeting and day sessions.

As helium did connected Sunday, Francis participated successful the retreat remotely from the Rome infirmary wherever helium is being treated. He could spot and perceive the Rev. Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal household, but the priests, bishops and cardinals gathered for the retreat successful the Vatican auditorium could not spot oregon perceive him.

Pasolini is delivering a bid of meditations this week connected "the anticipation of eternal life," a taxable that was chosen good earlier Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli infirmary connected Feb. 14 with a analyzable lung infection.

The retreat — an yearly gathering that kicks disconnected the Catholic Church's solemn Lenten play starring to Easter — continues done the week. The Vatican has said Francis would enactment "in spiritual communion" with the remainder of the hierarchy, from afar.

Francis besides resumed his carnal and respiratory therapy astatine the Gemelli hospital, and rested and prayed successful between. Francis has been utilizing a nasal conduit for supplemental oxygen to assistance him respire during the time and a non-invasive mechanical ventilation disguise astatine night, therapy that helium was continuing Monday.

Pope Francis, who has chronic lung illness and had portion of 1 lung removed arsenic a young man, had what was conscionable a atrocious lawsuit of bronchitis erstwhile helium was hospitalized past month. The corruption progressed into a analyzable respiratory tract corruption and treble pneumonia that has sidelined him for the longest play of his 12-year papacy and raised questions astir the future.

WATCH | Hospitalized Pope Francis sends audio connection to faithful astatine St. Peter's square:

Speculation astir pope's health and speech of conclaves

Francis was inactive keeping his oculus connected things. The Vatican said helium had been informed astir the floods successful his autochthonal Argentina and expressed his closeness to the affected population. In addition, a Vatican cardinal adjacent to Francis spoke retired Monday to refute immoderate antagonistic media reports that person circulated successful his absence.

The Vatican improvement bureau released a missive written by Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny to 1 of Francis's adjacent friends, the Argentine societal justness activistic Juan Grabois. Grabois had travelled to Rome to commune for Francis astatine Gemelli hospital, and immoderate Italian media reported past period that helium had tried to forcibly get into Francis's 10th level infirmary suite, a assertion helium denied.

In the March 6 letter, Czerny told Grabois that Francis "knew of your beingness successful Rome and your regular vigils of supplication and spiritual solidarity astatine Gemelli Polyclinic, and I'm definite this gave him a existent comfortableness and support."

"Additionally, I cognize that you articulation maine successful powerfully repudiating the unfounded versions that person circulated successful immoderate media astir alleged inappropriate behaviour successful the hospital," Czerny wrote.

The Vatican is ever abuzz with rumour but has gone into overdrive with speculation astir Francis's wellness and speech of conclaves, adjacent though Francis is precise overmuch live and successful charge. The information that Czerny felt it indispensable to support 1 of Francis's friends suggested that the rumour and manoeuvring successful Francis's lack had crossed a line.

On Thursday, the Vatican volition people the 12th day of Francis's election, the archetypal with the Pope retired of show but inactive successful charge. Francis was elected the 266th Pope, the archetypal Jesuit Pope and archetypal from Latin America connected March 13, 2013, pursuing the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.