The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2023, while the number of seminarians, priests, men and women in religious orders, and baptisms all declined, according to Vatican statistics.
The Vatican
Pope’s Doctors Report More Improvement, but No Date for His Release
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.
Pope Fights Fake News With Unprecedented Detail About Health Status
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 Out of Danger but To Remain in Hospital
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.
Pope Marks Ash Wednesday in Hospital, Receiving Ashes, Eucharist
Pope Francis marked Ash Wednesday on his 20th day in Rome’s Gemelli hospital by taking part in the rite of the blessing of the ashes and receiving them in a short prayer service, the Vatican said.
Pope Suffers Further Setback, Put Back on Ventilation
Amid what is now his third week in the hospital, Pope Francis Monday suffered what doctors described as two incidents of “acute” respiratory difficulty that required him to be put back on a ventilator.
Pope, From Hospital, Writes About ‘Blessing’ Hidden In Frailty
Pope Francis’ condition remained “stable” March 2, and he “did not require non-invasive mechanical ventilation, but only high-flow oxygen therapy,” the Vatican said in its evening medical bulletin.
Pope’s Breathing ‘Crisis’ Reportedly Passes, but He’s Still on Oxygen
While Italy’s main news agency reported that Pope Francis’ respiratory “crisis” had subsided, a Vatican source said he was still receiving supplemental oxygen by nasal cannula early Feb. 23.
Pope Has Respiratory ‘Crisis,’ Doctors Say ‘Prognosis Reserved’
Pope Francis experienced “an asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the use of oxygen at high flows” Feb. 22, said the daily medical bulletin released by the Vatican.
Top Aides Hit Back Against Rumors of Papal Death, Resignation
Several of Pope Francis’s top collaborators have hit back against rumors that Pope Francis’s health, while of concern, is declining as he marks one week in the hospital for treatment of bilateral pneumonia.