Respiratory attack leaves Pope in a critical condition — Vatican

Pope Francis remains in a critical condition after suffering a respiratory attack that required high-flow oxygen and blood transfusions, the Vatican confirmed on Saturday. 

The 88-year-old pontiff, who has been hospitalised for nine days at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital with double pneumonia, is alert but not out of danger.

“At the moment, the prognosis is reserved,” the Vatican said in a statement, adding that “the Holy Father’s condition remains critical.” Earlier in the day, Francis experienced “a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis,” prompting urgent medical intervention.

Doctors also found thrombocytopenia, a condition associated with low blood platelet levels and anaemia, which led to the need for blood transfusions. 

Despite his worsening discomfort, the Vatican reported that he remained conscious and spent time sitting in an armchair, although he was visibly weaker than the previous day.

Due to his condition, the Pope will not deliver his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday. Instead, the Vatican will publish the text, as was done the previous weekend.

Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, has faced multiple health challenges in recent years, including major surgeries in 2021 and 2023. His current hospitalisation has renewed concerns over his ability to continue leading the Church’s 1.4 billion followers, sparking speculation about a potential resignation and his possible successor.

However, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin dismissed such discussions as premature. “Right now, our focus is on the Holy Father’s health, his recovery, and his return to the Vatican—these are the only priorities,” he told Italy’s Corriere della Sera.

Outside the hospital, a group of nuns and priests gathered to pray for the Pope’s recovery. “We are praying today for the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and we hope he will recover in the grace of God,” said Brazilian priest Don Wellison.

Francis has remained active despite his deteriorating health. The Vatican noted that he has been alternating between his bed, a chair, and a chapel within his suite, where he prays and continues some work.

Professor Sergio Alfieri, the head of the Pope’s medical team, said on Friday that Francis’s condition had “slightly improved,” allowing doctors to begin reducing his medication. However, he warned that the situation remained serious.

“Is the Pope out of danger? No, the Pope is not out of danger,” Alfieri stated. “But if you ask whether he is at risk of dying at this moment, the answer is no.”

Francis has previously said he views the papacy as a lifelong role but has not ruled out the possibility of resignation, following the precedent set by Benedict XVI. He has often joked about speculation surrounding his health, once remarking after surgery in 2021, “They were preparing the conclave.”

While some, like Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, acknowledge the possibility of a resignation, others downplay the notion. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, told Argentina’s La Nación newspaper that he does not sense an urgent discussion about succession.

“I don’t see a pre-conclave atmosphere, nor do I sense more discussions about a successor than there were a year ago,” Fernández said. “So far, I perceive a great deal of respect.”

Despite his frail health, Francis has maintained a demanding schedule. In September, he completed a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region, though his mobility has been increasingly limited due to chronic hip and knee pain, which requires him to use a wheelchair most of the time.

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