In a late update this evening, the Vatican said Pope Francis hadn’t had any more respiratory crises since Saturday night, but was still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen
Pope Francis remains in a critical condition with blood tests showing early kidney failure, but he is alert, Vatican officials have said.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who is battling pneumonia and a complex lung infection, even managed to attend Mass from the hospital on Sunday, in a strong statement of support for his followers. In a late update, the Vatican said Francis hadn’t had any more respiratory crises since Saturday night but was still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen.
Some blood tests showed “initial, mild, kidney failure,” but doctors said it was under control. The decreased platelet count, necessary for clotting, that was first detected on Saturday was stable.
“The complexity of the clinical picture, and the necessary wait for drug therapies to provide some feedback, dictate that the prognosis remains reserved,” the doctors concluded. Prayers for him poured in from around the world, from his native Argentina to the seat of Sunni Islam in Cairo to schoolchildren in Rome.
Earlier today, a message was posted from the Pope’s social media accounts, thanking everyone who reached out with messages of support. It read: “I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children. Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!”
Francis was supposed to celebrate Mass on Sunday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica and ordained deacons as part of the Vatican’s yearlong Holy Year commemoration, however he was rushed to the hospital last week. The organiser of the Holy Year, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, celebrated the Mass in his place and offered a special prayer for Francis from the altar before delivering the homily the Pope had prepared.
“Even though he is in a hospital bed, we feel Pope Francis close to us. We feel him present among us,” Archbishop Fisichella told the hundreds of white-robed deacons. A pre-written message that had been prepared for Francis to read on Sunday but did not deliver said he was “confidently continuing my hospitalisation at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment; and rest is also part of the therapy!”
The message asked for prayers for him – as he always asks – and noted the upcoming anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “a painful and shameful occasion for the whole of humanity.” He also said: “While I renew my closeness to the tormented Ukrainian people, I invite you to remember the victims of all armed conflicts and to pray for the gift of peace in Palestine, in Israel and throughout the Middle East, in Myanmar, in Kivu and in Sudan.”
Meanwhile in Francis’ native Argentina, Catholics prayed for the pope at the Buenos Aires cathedral and the city’s iconic obelisk was lit up “Francis, the city prays for you.” In Cairo, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning who forged a close bond with Francis, wished him well.
“I pray to Allah to grant my dear brother, Pope Francis, a swift recovery and to bless him with good health and well-being so that he may continue his journey in serving humanity,” Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb wrote in a Facebook post. And school children from around Rome deluged the Gemelli hospital with get-well cards, while Italian bishops led rosary prayers and celebrated special Masses across Italy.
