Pope Francis still in “critical” condition, prayers around the world to support him

Pope Francis, 88, remains in "critical condition" with pneumonia in both lungs and continues to receive high-flow oxygen, the Vatican announced Sunday evening, February 23, as prayers for his convalescence multiply around the world. Even if he did not have a new respiratory crisis like Saturday, "the complexity of the clinical picture and the wait necessary for pharmacological therapies to take effect require remaining reserved on the prognosis," according to the latest health bulletin published.

Although his anemia has improved and his thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count) has remained stable thanks to blood transfusions on Saturday, "some blood tests show an initial, mild renal failure, currently under control," the doctors said.

The day before, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis "is suffering more than yesterday" , the Vatican announced on Saturday, February 22, in a statement noting that "the condition of the Holy Father remains critical" and that he " is not out of danger". The sovereign pontiff suffered in the morning from an "asthmatic-type respiratory crisis" , which "required the application of high-flow oxygen." Despite his "critical" condition on Saturday night, the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff "spent a quiet night and rested" at Rome's Gemelli hospital, the Vatican said Sunday morning.

At midday Saturday, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis would not publicly recite the Angelus prayer before the faithful in Rome on Sunday. The text of his address before the prayer will be published and not read to the crowd. In a brief statement, the Holy See said the pope had "rested well" during the night from Friday to Saturday, without mentioning whether he had gotten up or eaten in the morning.

The medical team treating him had already specified on Friday afternoon, during a press conference, that a longer statement generally meant that the evolution of the Pope's health was not good. "Is the Pope out of danger? No, the Pope is not out of danger," Professor Sergio Alfieri had then affirmed during a press briefing at the Roman Gemelli hospital, where the pontiff has been treated since his hospitalization.

Francis was hospitalized Feb. 14 with bronchitis, but the Holy See revealed Tuesday that he had developed pneumonia in both lungs, a potentially fatal infection of lung tissue. The hospitalization, his fourth since 2021, raises serious concerns as the pope has already been weakened by a series of problems in recent years, from colon and abdominal surgeries to difficulty walking.

"I am confidently continuing my hospitalization (...) following the necessary treatments; and rest is also part of the therapy," the Pope wrote in this text written in "the last few days," according to a Vatican source, therefore probably before the worsening on Saturday. Many prayers for his health have been organized throughout Rome, Italy and the world.