Pope Francis was hospitalized at Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and has been there ever since. Despite being in the hospital for almost a month now, he has improved and is no longer in imminent danger of death.
Pope Francis is 88 years old, he suffers from chronic lung disease and had part of his lung removed when he was just 21 years old. The Pope has experienced recurring bouts of influenza and other related health issues since the beginning of 2023. He was first hospitalized on Feb. 14, for just a bad case of bronchitis. His bronchitis worsened and progressed into a complex viral, bacterial, and fungal respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia. With him being hospitalized and in bad condition, people were concerned for his future, because this is the longest amount of time that he has been sidelined throughout his 12-year papacy.
Even though he has been dealing with this horrible sickness, he has still been keeping his eye on things. The Vatican said that the Pope expressed his closeness to the affected population because of the floods in his native Argentina. He has also tried his best to participate in things from afar. According to CBS NEWS, “The retreat, an annual gathering that kicks off the Catholic Church’s solemn Lenten season leading to Easter, continues through the week. The Vatican has said Francis would participate “in spiritual communion.”
The Pope has been receiving continuous treatment and physical therapy to get better, as well as rest and praying. During the day he has been using a nasal tube to get oxygen and to help him breathe, while during the night he has been using a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask.
The Vatican announced that The Pope was showing a “Good response” to the treatment he was receiving and his condition was slowly improving. The latest detailed medical update on The Pope According to CNBC said, “The clinical condition of the Holy Father in recent days has remained stable and, consequently, indicates a good response to the treatment.” With blood tests and positive responses to his treatments, he remains stable.
The Vatican released a statement saying that the doctors have lifted their original prognosis and they have determined that the Pope is no longer in serious danger from the infection that he arrived with. The doctors are still staying cautious even though he is showing improvement, CBS NEWS wrote, “In view of the complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented on admission, it will be necessary to continue medical drug therapy in a hospital setting for additional days,” according to the Vatican statement.
On March 13, 2025, it marks the Pope’s 12-year anniversary of being elected. This will be the first anniversary that The Pope is out of sight but still in charge.
