Night without complications Pope's condition improves slightly
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis has spent the night without further complications.
Image: dpa
Francis has been unwell for weeks. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Since his admission to the Gemelli Clinic, there has been great concern for Pope Francis among the faithful all over the world.
Image: dpa
Pope Francis has already been in hospital for almost a week.
Image: dpa
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis has spent the night without further complications.
Image: dpa
Francis has been unwell for weeks. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Since his admission to the Gemelli Clinic, there has been great concern for Pope Francis among the faithful all over the world.
Image: dpa
Pope Francis has already been in hospital for almost a week.
Image: dpa
Francis has been in hospital for almost a week: pneumonia. It is uncertain how long he will have to stay there. The Vatican issues another update on his condition in the evening.
20.02.2025, 22:23
dpa
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- Pope Francis' state of health is said to have improved slightly.
- He is fever-free, according to a Vatican spokesperson.
- The head of the Catholic Church has been in the Gemelli Clinic in Rome since Friday last week.
After almost a week in hospital, concerns about Pope Francis continue. Cautiously positive signals are now coming from the Vatican: the 88-year-old's clinical condition is improving slightly and he is also fever-free, a Vatican spokesperson announced. The head of the Catholic Church has been in the Gemelli Clinic in Rome since Friday last week.
Since being diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia a few days ago, there has been great concern among the faithful all over the world. On Wednesday, however, the Vatican announced a "slight improvement" in some blood values in its daily update. The latest bulletin on his condition also states that Francis has devoted himself to work during the day.
Nevertheless, it is still uncertain how long Francis will need to be hospitalized. All his appointments have been canceled for the coming days until the end of the week. Francis actually has a busy schedule this year: the Holy Year is currently underway with numerous major pilgrimage events and masses. Some have already had to be canceled.
The head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide has been in poor health for a long time. During public appointments, the Pope recently complained of breathing difficulties and coughed, sometimes violently. Only after much hesitation did he decide to seek hospital treatment. According to those close to him, he actually wanted to avoid this step at all costs.
After his admission on Friday last week, the Vatican initially spoke of bronchitis. The doctors later diagnosed a complicated respiratory infection with various pathogens. There was also talk of a "complex clinical picture". On Tuesday evening, the Vatican then announced the diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia.
The faithful are worried. Pneumonia is considered dangerous in people of advanced age - also because there is a risk of other organs being affected. It can be life-threatening in people with pre-existing conditions. In Francis' case, this is aggravated by the fact that the upper part of his right lung was removed a long time ago.
More speculation about the Pope's resignation
Meanwhile, Francis' state of health is also increasingly a topic of conversation among the cardinals. Once again, speculation about a possible resignation of the Pope for health reasons has arisen. It all started with Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, who said in a radio interview that he thought it was possible that the Argentinian-born Pope could resign - just like Francis' German predecessor Benedict XVI.
"If he found himself in a situation in which his ability to have direct contact with people was severely restricted, then I believe he could decide to resign," said the cardinal. Francis had repeatedly rejected rumors of a resignation in the past. There had already been speculation about this after previous stays in hospital.
However, he announced some time ago that he had deposited a signed letter of resignation in the Vatican Secretariat of State at the beginning of his term of office - but only in the event that he was unable to act due to a serious illness. The influential Archbishop of Marseille, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, also did not rule out Francis' resignation. At a press conference in the Vatican, he said: "Anything is possible."
Prayers outside the Gemelli clinic
Even after almost a week in hospital, anxious believers gather daily outside the Gemelli Clinic in Rome - they pray and pause in front of a large statue of Francis' predecessor, Polish Pope John Paul II, where people lay candles and flowers.
At the age of 88, Francis is now the second oldest pope in history. As the successor to Pope Benedict XVI, he has been in office since March 2013. According to Vatican records, only Pope Leo XIII was even older: the Italian died in 1903 at the age of 93. Francis' predecessor, Joseph Ratzinger, lived to be 95, but resigned years before his death.