VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis remains “stable” and showing signs of “slight improvement,” the Vatican said Tuesday, after the doctors announced Monday that he is no longer in imminent danger.
In a succinct briefing on the Pope’s condition, journalists were told by the Holy See Press Office that Francis remains “stable” as of Tuesday evening. His medical scenario is still “complex,” the Vatican noted, given the Pope’s 88 years and underlying poor health.
Today, he continued with his therapy – motor and respiratory – and followed the Roman Curia’s spiritual exercises via a video link like on previous days. He did not receive any visitors today due to following the spiritual exercises.
Earlier Tuesday, Vatican sources attested that the Pope is continuing to feel better. However, there has not yet been given any date for his discharge from the hospital. Monday’s medical bulletin issue from the doctors read in part:
However, in consideration of the complexity of the clinical picture and the significant infectious condition presented at the time of hospitalization, it will be necessary to continue the medical and pharmacological therapy in a hospital environment for a few more days.
The Pope has now been in the hospital for over three weeks after being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 for bronchitis. He was then diagnosed with double pneumonia in what was described as a “complex” medical scenario and subsequently a “critical” state. He is now no longer described as being “critical,” though his longer-term diagnosis has not been released.
It has become the longest hospital stay of his pontificate, with the previous longest being a stay of 10 days during the summer of 2021, and is currently the third-longest papal hospitalization at 25 full days.
On Sunday, February 23, he showed signs of “mild” kidney failure, though in subsequent days doctors said they were not concerned by the symptoms.
His condition now has been stable since the evening update of March 4, though doctors have previously warned that it can change drastically in a short space of time. His prognosis has remained confidential, or reserved, by the doctors since the weekend of February 22.
On Thursday night, an audio recording of the Pope was played just before the nightly Rosary in St. Peter’s Square, in which Francis thanked all present for their prayers for his health. His voice was notably strained in the very brief recording – a recording that Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican Press Office, said was the Pope’s own decision to make and release.
It was the first such recording since his admission to the hospital.
The nightly Rosary, which has been held in St. Peter’s Square for the Pope since February 24, will, during the Roman Curia’s spiritual exercises, be held at 5 p.m. local time rather than the 9 p.m. slot this week.
For full background on the Pope’s hospitalization, see LifeSiteNews’ coverage here.