Camille Naredo

A balloon with an image of Pope Francis is pictured outside the Gemelli University Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia, in Rome on March 03, 2025. Filippo Monteforte, AFP

A balloon with an image of Pope Francis is pictured outside the Gemelli University Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia, in Rome on March 03, 2025. Pope Francis suffered two new breathing attacks on March 3, 2025, the Vatican said, as the 88-year-old pontiff struggles to recover from pneumonia.  "Today, the Holy Father experienced two episodes of acute respiratory failure, caused by a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm," it said in a statement. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

Article (news)

Pope Francis

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1741074082802AFP__20250303__36Z96D2__v3__Preview__TopshotItalyVaticanPopeHealth.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A balloon with an image of Pope Francis is pictured outside the Gemelli University Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia, in Rome on March 03, 2025. Filippo Monteforte, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A balloon with an image of Pope Francis is pictured outside the Gemelli University Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia, in Rome on March 03, 2025. <em>Filippo Monteforte, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>ROME, Italy (<strong>2nd UPDATE</strong>) -- Pope Francis was breathing without a mask on Tuesday after suffering two bouts of acute respiratory failure, the Vatican said as the leader of the world&#x27;s Catholics spent his 19th day in hospital with pneumonia.</p><p>The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff, head of the Catholic Church since 2013, &quot;slept all night long and continues to rest&quot; following Monday&#x27;s crisis, the Holy See said.</p><p>As of Tuesday morning, Francis had switched from an oxygen mask to high-flow oxygen delivered through a cannula, a plastic tube which tucks into the nostrils, a statement read.</p><p>He is continuing his treatment and respiratory physiotherapy, it added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/3/3/pope-suffers-two-new-episodes-of-acute-respiratory-failure-vatican-1032">READ: Pope suffers two new episodes of &#x27;acute respiratory failure&#x27; -- Vatican</a></div><p>In its evening update on Monday, the Vatican stressed Francis&#x27;s prognosis remained &quot;reserved&quot; -- an indication that doctors cannot predict the likely outcome of his condition.</p><p>Francis, who leads the world&#x27;s 1.4 billion Catholics, was admitted to Rome&#x27;s Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, which developed into pneumonia in both lungs.</p><p>His admission has sparked widespread alarm, and well-wishers across the world have been praying for his recovery.</p><p>The pope, who had part of a lung removed as a young man, had already suffered two breathing crises in the days running up to Monday&#x27;s double attack.</p><p>The pope had &quot;experienced two episodes of acute respiratory failure, caused by a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm&quot;, the Vatican said on Monday evening.</p><p>Acute respiratory failure, which can be life-threatening, occurs when the lungs cannot pass enough oxygen into the blood or when carbon dioxide builds up in the body.</p><div><strong>- &#x27;Very bad sign&#x27; -</strong></div><p>Francis had been breathless and struggled to read his texts in the days leading up to his admission to the Gemelli hospital, which has a special papal suite on the 10th floor.</p><p>On February 22, he suffered a &quot;prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis&quot;, followed on February 28 by &quot;an isolated crisis of bronchospasm&quot; -- a tightening of the muscles that line the airways in the lungs.</p><p>Medical experts warned Francis&#x27;s continued stay in hospital and the repeated crises were alarming.</p><p>&quot;At 88 years old, being in the hospital for two weeks and having repeated episodes of respiratory discomfort is a very bad sign,&quot; Bruno Crestani, head of the pulmonology department at Bichat hospital in Paris, told AFP.</p><p>Herve Pegliasco, head of pulmonology at the European Hospital in Marseille, added that with double pneumonia, &quot;there is the issue of exhaustion, because he is forced to make much more effort to breathe&quot;.</p><p>The Vatican said on Monday the pope was alert and cooperative during his latest crisis, which required two separate bronchoscopies, where doctors look into the air passages using a small camera at the base of a flexible tube.</p><div><strong>- No visits planned -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hbAnjKbvsJI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Francis has been working during his time in the Gemelli, talking on the telephone and receiving some officials, according to Vatican sources.</p><p>No visits were planned on Tuesday, the Vatican press office said.</p><p>Francis has not been seen in public for almost three weeks and the last photos taken of him were from his private audiences on the morning of his admission to hospital.</p><p>The Argentine missed his traditional Angelus prayer for a third straight Sunday and the Vatican issued a written text instead.</p><p>In it, the pope thanked the well-wishers around the world who have been holding prayers for his recovery, including outside the hospital and every evening at St. Peter&#x27;s Square in the Vatican.</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; he said.</p><p>Francis has suffered numerous health issues in recent years, including colon surgery in 2021 and a hernia operation in 2023, and uses a wheelchair due to hip and knee pain.</p><p>He has always left open the option of resigning if his health declined, following the example set by his predecessor, Benedict XVI, but had repeatedly dismissed the idea before his admission to hospital.</p><div><strong>-- Alice RITCHIE with Isabelle TOURNE in Paris</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Pope Francis was breathing without a mask on Tuesday after suffering two bouts of acute respiratory failure, the Vatican said as the leader of the world's Catholics spent his 19th day in hospital with pneumonia.</p>

Pope Francis was breathing without a mask on Tuesday after suffering two bouts of acute respiratory failure, the Vatican said as the leader of the world's Catholics spent his 19th day in hospital with pneumonia.

Pope breathing without mask after respiratory attacks: Vatican

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Pope breathing without mask after respiratory attacks: Vatican

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 04, 2025 03:39 PM PHT

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Updated Mar 04, 2025 07:43 PM PHT

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