Pope Francis remains in critical condition, but he is stable and there is “a slight improvement” today on various fronts, according to the latest medical report from his doctors, released by the Vatican just before 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24.
“The clinical condition of the Holy Father remains critical but shows a slight improvement,” and “there were no episodes of asthmatic respiratory crises today,” it said.
It noted that “some laboratory tests have improved.”
It reported that “the mild kidney insufficiency,” which the doctors had reported yesterday, “is not a cause for concern” as its monitoring has shown. (Several media outlets in Italy and elsewhere have dramatized the threat to the pope posed by his kidney insufficiency.)
It said the pope’s “oxygen therapy continues” but “with slightly reduced flows and percentage of oxygen.” Yesterday, the doctors reported that he was getting oxygen through “nasal cannulas,” indicating that he is not permanently attached to oxygen but draws on it when necessary.
Today’s medical bulletin concludes by saying that, notwithstanding the improvements in his condition, the doctors have decided “as a precautionary measure” to maintain a “reserved prognosis.”
Commenting on today’s report, Dr. Anna Lisa Bilotta, who works in the Salvator Mundi Hospital and is not treating the pope, told America, “The pope’s condition is improving, even if the doctors have decided to retain a ‘reserved prognosis.’” She noted “he has not had any more respiratory crisis, such as he had last Saturday morning” and said the examinations show “his blood is improving.”
Dr. Bilotta concluded: “The pope’s condition is stable, but also with some improvements. The therapy takes time; it is slow, but it is working.”
The Vatican also stated in the bulletin that this morning Pope Francis “received the Eucharist” and in the afternoon “he resumed his work.” It reported that “in the evening he called the parish priest of the parish of Gaza to express his paternal closeness.”
It concluded by saying yet again that “Pope Francis thanks all the people of God who have gathered in these days to pray for his health.”
This morning, the Vatican as usual sent a brief note to the accredited media around 8 a.m. that reported on the pope’s 10th night in the hospital. It said he had “a good night, slept well and was resting.”
Later, an informed source said Pope Francis got up, was in “good humor,” and was sitting in his armchair, eating normally and doing some work.
The Argentine pope was admitted to Gemelli Hospital for the fourth time on Feb. 14, and is now in his 11th day there, receiving treatment for pneumonia in both lungs. His doctors predict it will take all this week, meaning until early March, before the pharmacological treatment takes full effect.
He suffered a severe breathing crisis last Saturday morning, Feb. 22, and had to be given high-flow oxygen and blood transfusions to overcome his critical situation. News of that crisis was made public that evening and set off alarm bells in the Vatican and around the world.
Pope Francis emerged from the crisis that same day and passed a tranquil night. On Sunday his condition had improved, and he was able to participate at Mass in his suite with the staff that are caring for him. The medical report that evening showed that the blood transfusions had produced a positive effect by increasing his hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen to the body. At the same time, the doctors detected “an initial, slight kidney insufficiency” but that was not seen as a cause for major concern, and doctors treating it said, “It is currently under control.”
Nevertheless, this kidney problem appeared to reveal the frail condition of the 88-year-old pope, who is being given a significant quantity of medicines each day to combat the pneumonia, and these are producing some side effects.
Yesterday, as today, the doctors maintained a “reserved prognosis” regarding the pope’s health, as he is still not out of danger while he has pneumonia, as Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the leader of the medical team of some seven specialists working on the pope’s case explained at the press briefing last Friday.
Dr. Alfieri emphasized that it can take very little “to change the balance in his condition” from day to day, as happened last Saturday morning with the breathing crisis. Dr. Bilotta told America in earlier comments that the pope could have other crises on the road to recovery, but the important thing is that his medical team is able to overcome them.
The Vatican today announced that an evening rosary for the Holy Father’s health would be recited every day in St. Peter’s Square, starting today, Monday, Feb. 24, with a different cardinal living in Rome leading the prayer each evening and with Vatican officials participating. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, will lead the first rosary at 9 p.m.
The initiative follows a tremendous outpouring of prayer for Pope Francis across the world and in Italy, too.
Francis is aware of this, and in his noonday written messages on Sunday and the Sunday before, he thanked everyone for their prayers and urged them to continue praying for him.
America has learned that Catholics in mainland China have started two major chain messages asking people to pray for the pope, and these are circulating widely. A source said, “Both encourage more people to join in praying, or to pray through singing, as singing is a powerful form of prayer.”
Filipinos, too, are praying for the pope whom they call “Lolo Kiko” (Grand-dad Francis), the name they used when he visited their country in mid-January 2015, and America has learned that Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the president of the Philippines’ bishops’ conference, held a live-streamed “Mass for Healing” for Francis at San Roque Cathedral in the Diocese of Kalookan, on Feb. 20.
Likewise, America has received news from Australia, reporting that in Perth and across that vast country prayers are being offered for Pope Francis as he continues his hospitalization.
