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Undated photo of Pope Francis consoling a grieiving mother

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Pope's condition stable but complex


Agence France-Presse

<p>Pope Francis is in a &quot;stable&quot; condition in hospital but the clinical picture remains complex, the Vatican said Sunday, as the 88-year-old issued a statement thanking well-wishers for their support.</p><p>The head of the Catholic Church was admitted to Rome&#x27;s Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, which later developed into pneumonia in both lungs.</p><p>After appearing to recover slightly during the week, the Argentine pope suffered a breathing crisis on Friday, causing widespread concern, but he passed a quieter weekend.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGtNna7TvtS/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A153895%2C%22ls%22%3A153572%2C%22le%22%3A153893%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1221" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>&quot;The clinical conditions of the Holy Father remained stable today,&quot; the Vatican said on Sunday in its regular early evening medical update.</p><p>The leader of the world&#x27;s almost 1.4 billion Catholics &quot;did not require non-invasive mechanical ventilation, only high-flow oxygen therapy&quot;, it said.</p><p>He does not have a fever, and on Sunday morning he participated in mass, spending the rest of the day alternating rest with prayer, it added.</p><p>A Vatican source said that with 48 hours now passed, it appeared there had been &quot;no further consequences&quot; from Friday&#x27;s crisis.</p><p>However, the Holy See statement added that &quot;in view of the complexity of the clinical picture, the prognosis remains reserved&quot;.</p><div><br/></div><p>- &#x27;Supported by God&#x27;s people&#x27; -</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGsrNu5spQ_/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A153907%2C%22ls%22%3A153572%2C%22le%22%3A153893%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1275" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, missed his traditional Angelus prayer for a third straight Sunday, the Vatican issuing a written text instead.</p><p>&quot;I would like to thank you for the prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world,&quot; he wrote.</p><p>&quot;I feel all your affection and closeness and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am &#x27;carried&#x27; and supported by all God&#x27;s people. Thank you all.&quot;</p><p>The pope concluded by calling, as he often does during his Angelus prayer, for peace around the world.</p><p>&quot;From here, war appears even more absurd. Let us pray for tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and Kivu,&quot; Francis wrote.</p><p>At St Peter&#x27;s Square, where pilgrims normally gather to hear the pope at noon on a Sunday, some in the crowd expressed concern at his absence.</p><p>&quot;The first thought when you enter the square is to look where he usually looked out of the window,&quot; Lorena Compare, a 49-year-old accountant, told AFP.</p><p>&quot;Let&#x27;s hope.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><p>- Health issues -</p><div><br/></div><p>The Jesuit, who has been pope since 2013, has suffered numerous health issues in recent years, from colon surgery in 2021 to a hernia operation in 2023 and pain that causes him to use a wheelchair.</p><p>But at 17 days, this is the longest and most serious hospitalisation of his papacy, sparking widespread concern about his health and his future leading the Church.</p><p>Last weekend, the Vatican reported the pope was in a &quot;critical&quot; condition after he suffered a major respiratory attack and required blood transfusions.</p><p>There followed a series of incremental improvements, but on Friday Francis &quot;presented an isolated crisis of bronchospasm which led to an episode of vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory picture&quot;, the Vatican said.</p><p>On Saturday, it said there had been no repeat of this crisis and he was in a &quot;stable&quot; condition.</p><p>The pope&#x27;s haemodynamic parameters -- those relating to the flow of blood -- were also stable, and he did not have the high white-blood-cell count that often indicates an infection, the Vatican said.</p><div><br/></div><p>- Worried world -</p><div><br/></div><p>Catholics and other well-wishers around the world have been praying for the liberal reformer, the first pontiff from the Americas.</p><p>Pilgrims have flocked to the Gemelli hospital, many leaving handwritten messages including posters illustrated by children, and balloons bearing his image.</p><p>Francis has continued to work from the special papal suite on the hospital&#x27;s 10th floor, amid speculation about his ability to continue to lead the Church.</p><p>Francis has always left open the option of resigning if his health declined, following the example set by his predecessor, German theologian Benedict XVI, who quit in 2013.</p><p>Before his hospitalisation, Francis had repeatedly said it was not yet the time -- and might never be.</p><p>He maintains a packed schedule, particularly with the Church celebrating a Jubilee holy year this year, an event predicted to draw tens of millions of pilgrims to Rome and the Vatican.</p><p>Yet medical experts have warned that Francis&#x27;s age and health means a sustained recovery will take time.</p>

<p>Pope Francis is in a "stable" condition in hospital but the clinical picture remains complex, the Vatican said Sunday, as the 88-year-old issued a statement thanking well-wishers for their support.</p>

Pope Francis is in a "stable" condition in hospital but the clinical picture remains complex, the Vatican said Sunday, as the 88-year-old issued a statement thanking well-wishers for their support.