Pope Francis had ‘peaceful night' after breathing crisis, says Vatican

Telegraph

01-03-2025

Pope Francis spent a peaceful night in hospital and is resting after a respiratory crisis on Friday, the Vatican has said.
In a one-line statement released on Saturday morning, the Holy See said: 'The night has passed quietly, the Pope is resting.'
There were acute concerns for the pontiff's health on Friday night when the Vatican revealed that he had suffered an 'isolated breathing crisis', which required him to be put on non-invasive ventilation.
The 88-year-old also endured 'an episode of vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory condition'.
He needed aspiration to help remove the vomit from his airways.
It had followed days of cautious optimism in which the Vatican's twice-daily briefings to journalists had suggested a slight improvement in the Pope's condition.
He has been in hospital for just over two weeks, fighting a range of infections.
The Vatican did not say exactly when on Friday the Pope had experienced the respiratory attack, nor how long it lasted.
'Crisis exploded'
But La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper, reported that 'the crisis exploded at 2pm'.
Doctors at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where the Pope is being treated, will need up to 48 hours to assess what the respiratory attack means for the Pope's overall condition.
He has been in hospital since Feb 14 after being admitted with bronchitis, which degenerated into double pneumonia.
Enrico Feroci, an Italian cardinal, said: 'The news of a new respiratory crisis has left us a bit shocked. We are praying that he will be able to continue his service to others. He has devoted himself fully to service, he's never had a day of holiday, he has never stopped.'
On Friday evening, cardinals gathered in St Peter's Square for the fifth consecutive night to pray for the Pope and recite the rosary.
Some of the cardinals who have led the vigil are considered to be 'papabile' – an Italian word that means possible contenders to be elected the next Pope.
They include Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, and Luis Antonio Tagle, a cardinal from the Philippines.
There will be another prayer vigil on Saturday evening.
There are concerns that the Pope could develop another infection, brought on by 'the presence of vomit in the lungs', according to Francesco Blasi, a professor of respiratory illnesses at Milan University.
However, the fact that the Pope remained conscious and alert throughout the respiratory attack is a good sign, said Prof Blasi.
He said: 'If he vomited, it means he was awake. And he was cooperating with the medical staff who were taking care of him.'
Dr John Coleman, a pulmonary critical care doctor at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said the respiratory attack was alarming and underscored the Pope's fragility.
He said: 'I think this is extremely concerning, given the fact that the Pope has been in the hospital now for over two weeks, and now he's continuing to have these respiratory events and now had this aspiration event that is requiring even higher levels of support.
'So given his age and his fragile state and his previous lung resection, this is very concerning.'
The Pope's incapacitation comes as the Vatican prepares to celebrate Easter, one of the busiest times in the Catholic Church's calendar.
The Vatican announced on Friday that the Pope will not lead the annual Church service next week to open Lent.
The service on March 5, known as Ash Wednesday, starts the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday. It will instead be entrusted to a senior Vatican official.