Italy Pope still in hospital: Sunday prayers canceled again
Due to his severe pneumonia, Pope Francis has had to miss the traditional Sunday prayer in front of tens of thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square for the fourth time in a row. The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church is still in hospital in Rome and has been for more than three weeks. The Vatican announced in the morning that the night to Sunday had passed "calmly". Francis is now resting.
09.03.2025, 09:34
SDA
In the evening, the Holy See had reported a "gradual, slight improvement" in a medical bulletin. "The Holy Father's clinical condition has remained stable over the last few days and thus shows a good response to treatment," it said. Francis also has no fever. The next bulletin is due to be published on Monday evening. There have also been several setbacks in recent weeks.
Twelve years in office on Thursday
The Pope is suffering from severe pneumonia, which has affected both lungs. He has had several bouts of acute shortness of breath in hospital. As a result, he repeatedly has to be mechanically ventilated via a mask on his mouth and nose. At 88, he is now the second oldest pope in history. Thursday marks twelve years since he was elected head of the Church as successor to the German pontiff Benedict XVI.
