Pope Francis remains in critical condition after he experienced a severe asthmatic respiratory crisis this morning requiring high-flow oxygen therapy, according to a Vatican update released Saturday.
“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday, the Pope is not out of danger,” the Vatican’s statement said.
The Vatican said the prognosis remains “reserved,” indicating a cautious outlook as medical teams continue to stabilize his condition.
Francis required an administration of oxygen and a blood transfusion on Saturday morning, according to the statement. The Pope spent the day “alert” and sitting in an armchair, “although in more pain than yesterday,” the Vatican said.
Francis, 88, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 for bronchitis. Earlier this week, the Vatican announced he had developed pneumonia in both lungs. The polymicrobial infection had “arisen in the context of bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis, and has required the use of corticosteroid and antibiotics,” which “makes the therapeutic treatment more complex.”
Francis’ condition on Saturday came as somewhat of a surprise after the Vatican released a statement on Wednesday saying the pope was in stable condition and had shown “a slight improvement.” The Vatican added that he began returning to some of his duties, including a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni issued a statement that day saying Francis was “alert and responsive.”
“We joked as always,” Meloni said in a statement issued by her office on Wednesday. “He has not lost his proverbial sense of humor.”
Francis has battled ongoing health issues in recent years, including the flu and various respiratory problems. He has also undergone multiple surgeries, including in 2021 for a gastrointestinal disease called diverticulitis and another in 2023 for a hernia.
Last week, Francis was seen wearing a sling on his arm after falling in his residence. The injury was his second fall in a span of several weeks.
In an autobiography Francis released in January, he downplayed concerns about his health and vowed that he would not resign.
“I am well,” he wrote. “The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs.”
The pope’s hospitalization comes during the Vatican’s celebration of the jubilee, a tradition in the Catholic Church dedicated to the remission of sins that occurs every 50 years. The celebration, also known as the Holy Year, proceeded on Saturday without Francis.
Francis has led the Catholic Church’s more than 1 billion members since 2013.
