VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis is in critical condition after suffering a severe asthmatic respiratory attack that required high-flow oxygen and blood transfusions, the Vatican said on Saturday, as he continues his treatment for double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
The 88-year-old pope, who remains conscious, received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update.
“At the moment, the prognosis is reserved,” it said, as the head of the Catholic Church prepared to spend his ninth night in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he was diagnosed this week with double pneumonia.
“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical; therefore, as explained yesterday, the pope is not out of danger,” the Vatican said in its regular early evening update.
“This morning, Pope Francis experienced a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis, which also required the application of high-flow oxygen,” it said.
Daily blood tests “showed thrombocytopenia, associated with anaemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions”, it added.
“The Holy Father remains alert and spent the day in an armchair, even though he was suffering more than yesterday.”
The Vatican earlier confirmed that the Argentine pontiff would not deliver his usual weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday, stating that the text would be published, as it was last weekend.
Doctors warn of possible onset of sepsis
Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease.
They have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia.
As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition.
Saturday’s blood tests showed that he had developed a low platelet count, a condition called platelopenia or thrombocytopenia.
Platelets are cell-like fragments that circulate in the blood that help form blood clots to stop bleeding or help wounds heal. Low platelet counts can be caused by a number of things, including side effects from medicines or infections, according to the US National Institutes of Health.
Francis, who has chronic lung disease and is prone to bronchitis in winter, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened.
Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needed it.
Saturday’s update marked the first time the Vatican has referred to Francis suffering an “asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows.”
Prayers for the Pope
Francis has been head of the Catholic Church since 2013 but has suffered numerous health issues in recent years, undergoing major surgery in 2021 and 2023.
This latest hospitalisation has cast doubt over his ability to continue as leader of the world’s almost 1.4 billion Catholics, fuelling speculation over his potential resignation—and who might take over.
Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily that such discussions were normal but said he would not engage in “useless speculation”.
“Right now, we are focused on the Holy Father’s health, his recovery, and his return to the Vatican—these are the only things that matter,” the cardinal said.
A group of nuns and priests from around the world gathered on Saturday outside the entrance to the Gemelli hospital, where Francis is staying in a special papal suite on the 10th floor, to pray for him.
“We are praying today for the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and our hope is that he will recover well in the grace of God,” Brazilian priest Don Wellison said as quoted by AFP.
Francis has been moving between his bed, a chair, and an adjacent chapel where he prays, while also doing some work, the Vatican says.
Professor Sergio Alfieri, who leads the pope’s medical team at the Gemelli, said on Friday that the pontiff’s condition had slightly improved, allowing doctors to incrementally lower the amount of medication he was taking.
However, he made it clear that the situation remained very serious, given the pontiff’s age and overall health condition.
“Is the pope out of danger? No, the pope is not out of danger,” Alfieri said but added: “If you then ask whether he is in danger of dying at this moment, the answer is still no.”
Francis has previously stated that the papacy is a job for life but has also left the door open to resigning, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did.
He has often joked about the scheming that his health issues inevitably prompt, particularly among those who oppose his attempts at reform.
After undergoing colon surgery in 2021, he quipped that “they were preparing the conclave”—the meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope following a death or resignation.
