Pope Francis’s condition “remains critical,” the Vatican said on Saturday, confirming that the 88-year-old pontiff was alert but had suffered a respiratory attack requiring “high-flow oxygen” and blood transfusions.
“At the moment, the prognosis is reserved,” the statement read, as the head of the Catholic Church prepared to spend his ninth night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he was diagnosed this week with double pneumonia.
“The Holy Father’s condition remains 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 required the administration of high-flow oxygen,” it added.
Daily blood tests “revealed thrombocytopenia, associated with anaemia, necessitating blood transfusions,” the statement continued.
Despite his condition, the Vatican reported that Francis remained alert and spent the day sitting in an armchair, though he was in greater discomfort than the previous day.
The Vatican earlier confirmed that the Argentine pontiff would not deliver his usual weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday. Instead, the text would be published, as was done the previous weekend.
Francis has led the Catholic Church since 2013 but has faced numerous health challenges in recent years, undergoing major surgeries in 2021 and 2023.
His latest hospitalisation has raised concerns about his ability to continue leading the Church’s 1.4 billion followers, fuelling speculation about a possible resignation and his potential successor.
Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told Italy’s Corriere della Sera that such discussions were expected but declined to engage in “useless speculation.”
“Right now, our focus is on the Holy Father’s health, his recovery, and his return to the Vatican—these are the only priorities,” the cardinal stated.
Outside the Gemelli Hospital, where Francis is staying in a special papal suite on the 10th floor, a group of nuns and priests gathered on Saturday to pray for his recovery.
“We are praying today for the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and we hope he will recover in the grace of God,” Brazilian priest Don Wellison told AFP.
The Vatican noted that the Pope has been alternating between his bed, a chair, and a chapel within his suite, where he prays and continues to do some work.
Professor Sergio Alfieri, the head of the Pope’s medical team at Gemelli, said on Friday that the pontiff’s condition had “slightly improved,” allowing doctors to gradually reduce his medication.
However, he emphasised the seriousness of the situation, given Francis’s age and overall health condition.
“Is the Pope out of danger? No, the Pope is not out of danger,” Alfieri said. “But if you ask whether he is at risk of dying at this moment, the answer is no.”
Francis has previously stated that the papacy is a lifelong role but has also left open the possibility of resigning, as his predecessor, Benedict XVI, did.
He has frequently joked about the speculation his health issues provoke, particularly among those opposed to his reforms.
Following his colon surgery in 2021, he quipped, “They were preparing the conclave,” referring to the gathering of cardinals to elect a new pope.
Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi told Corriere della Sera on Friday that he would not rule out the possibility of Francis stepping down.
However, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Vatican’s powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, downplayed speculation.
“I don’t see a pre-conclave atmosphere, nor do I sense more discussions about a successor than there were a year ago,” he told Argentina’s La Nación newspaper. “So far, I perceive a great deal of respect.”
Despite his health struggles, Francis maintains an intense work schedule. In September, he completed a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region.
However, his medical challenges have mounted, from colon surgery to a hernia operation in 2023. He also suffers from chronic hip and knee pain, which requires him to use a wheelchair most of the time.
