THE VATICAN HAS said that Pope Francis had a quiet night in hospital, after describing his condition as “critical” last night.
“The night was tranquil, the pope rested,” the Holy See said in a short update.
In a statement yesterday evening, it said that the 88-year-old pontiff had suffered a “prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis” during the morning which required “the application of high-flow oxygen”.
It also said that daily blood tests had showed a condition associated with anemia “which required the administration of blood transfusions”.
“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical,” the Vatican said, adding that the pope was “not out of danger”.
Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on 14 February with bronchitis, but it turned into pneumonia in both lungs, causing widespread concern for his health.
The pontiff is set to remain in hospital for at least another week, with his doctors telling a press conference on Friday that while there was no imminent risk to his life, he is “not out of danger”.
His hospitalisation has cast doubt over Francis’s ability to continue as head of the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics.
But Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin dismissed this as “useless speculation” in an interview published Saturday with Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily.
“Now we are thinking about the health of the Holy Father, his recovery, his return to the Vatican: these are the only things that matter,” the cardinal said.
Parolin said he personally had not yet been to see the pope, saying he was available but so far there was no need.
“It is better if he remains protected and has as few visitors as possible, to allow him to rest and make the treatment he is undergoing more effective,” he added.
The Vatican had already confirmed Francis would not deliver his usual weekly Angelus prayer today, saying the text would be published, as it was last weekend.