Vatican releases photo of recovering Pope Francis amid health battle

The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 16, 2025 2:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The Vatican connected Sunday released the archetypal photograph of the Pope successful much than a month, showing Francis co-celebrating Mass successful the infirmary chapel.

The photograph is taken from behind, and shows Pope Francis wearing a purple stole sitting successful a wheelchair successful beforehand of an altar.

Francis has not been seen publically since helium was admitted to the infirmary Feb. 14 aft a bout of bronchitis that made it hard for him to speak. Doctors soon added a diagnosis of treble pneumonia and a polymicrobial (bacterial, viral and fungal) infection.

The archetypal 3 weeks of his hospitalization were marked by a rollercoaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney nonaccomplishment and a terrible coughing fit.

Doctors this week said the pontiff was nary longer successful critical, life-threatening condition, but they person continued to stress that his information remained analyzable owed to his age, deficiency of mobility and the nonaccomplishment of portion of a lung arsenic a young man.

Still, they are issuing less aesculapian bulletins arsenic the pontiff has been connected an upward trajectory. An X-ray this week confirmed that the corruption was clearing.

Doctors successful the astir caller aesculapian update connected Saturday said they were moving to trim the Pope's nighttime reliance connected the non-invasive ventilation mask, which volition let his lungs to enactment more.

Doctors underlined that portion the Pope's information is stable, helium inactive requires hospitalization for attraction on with carnal and respiratory therapy, which are "showing further gradual improvements," the Vatican said Saturday successful the archetypal aesculapian update successful 3 days. 

The adjacent update won't beryllium issued until mid-week, the Vatican said.