Pope had ‘tranquil’ night in hospital, Vatican says

Pope Francis had a “tranquil” night and rested in hospital, the Vatican has said.

Unlike previous updates since the Pope was admitted to the hospital on 14 February, the Vatican didn’t say whether he had gotten up or had breakfast.

The 88-year-old has been in hospital for more than a week as he receives treatment for double pneumonia and chronic bronchitis.

On Saturday night, the Vatican said the Pope, who has been leading the Catholic Church since 2013, was in critical condition after a “prolonged respiratory crisis” that required a high flow of oxygen.

He also had blood transfusions after tests revealed thrombocytopenia, which is associated with anaemia.

In an update earlier on Saturday morning, the Vatican said he will not lead Sunday prayers for the second week running, adding: “The Pope rested well.”

Francis is likely to prepare a written homily for someone else to read at Sunday’s Angelus.

Millions of people around the world have been concerned about the Pope’s increasingly frail health – and his condition has given rise to speculation over a possible resignation, which the Vatican has not commented on.

Doctors on Friday said he was “not out of danger” and was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for at least another week.

Sergio Alfieri, the chief of the pontiff’s medical team, said: “Is he out of danger? No. But if the question is ‘is he in danger of death’, the answer is ‘no’.”

The doctors warned that while he did not have sepsis – where germs enter the bloodstream – there was always a risk the infection could spread in his body, and they said that was the biggest concern.

Sepsis is a complication of an infection that can lead to organ failure and death.

Pope Francis has a history of respiratory illness, having lost part of one of his lungs to pleurisy as a young man.

He had an acute case of pneumonia in 2023.

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