Pope Francis is going without supplemental oxygen for longer periods and is continuing therapy to recover his voice and to recover his physical strength, the Vatican press office said, but he also is increasing the number of private meetings he is holding with the heads of Vatican offices.
Pope Francis made another surprise appearance in St. Peter’s Square at the end of Palm Sunday Mass on April 13, starting Holy Week.
Pope Francis’ surprise visit to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray and see ongoing restoration work is a clear sign that his condition is improving, the Vatican press office said. The 88-year-old pope, pushed in a wheelchair by his nurse and using a nasal cannula to deliver supplemental oxygen, entered the basilica just before 1 p.m. April 10. Vatican News said he went to the basilica to pray at the tomb of St. Pius X.
For Pope Francis’ medical team at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Feb. 28 was the worst day.
Pope Francis no longer needs the “noninvasive mechanical ventilation” he has used most nights since experiencing a breathing “crisis” Feb. 28, his doctors reported in a bulletin released by the Vatican press office March 19.
For the first time since Pope Francis was hospitalized in mid-February, the Vatican press office released a photograph of him March 16; the image shows him concelebrating Mass that morning in the chapel of his suite of rooms at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
Marking the 12th anniversary of Pope Francis’s election, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered prayers for the Holy Father’s recovery on behalf of Catholics in the United States, and highlighted the shared commitment both sides have for global peace.
An old saying about the Vatican states that “the pope is never sick until he’s dead,” and this position has held true in various cycles of papal health crises throughout recent history, until now, with Pope Francis’ current hospital stay. Throughout his nearly month-long hospital stay, one of the most noteworthy elements of the ordeal has been the unprecedented level of detail provided in his daily medical bulletins.
Pope Francis is no longer considered in imminent danger from his lung infection, but he will remain in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several more days to continue receiving medical treatment, the Vatican said.
As Pope Francis’ condition remains stable, which is a sign of continued improvement, he followed the start of the Lenten retreat for the Roman Curia by video linkup and met again with two top Vatican officials to stay abreast of current events, the Vatican press office said.
