Pope's condition 'remains stable' for double pneumonia treatment
March 8 (UPI) -- Pope Francis' condition "remained stable " as he spent a restful night and he began his 23rd consecutive day in the hospital for treatment of double pneumonia, the Vatican said Saturday.
His "prognosis remains guarded," the Vatican said about the 88-year-old pope.
"The night passed quietly; the Pope is resting," according to a statement from the press office.
During the morning, the pope resumed prescribed therapies, including motor physiotherapy.
On Friday, the pontiff alternated between prayer, rest and work, as his respiratory physiotherapy continues.
Francis uses nasal cannulas for high-flow oxygenation, and at night he utilizes non-invasive mechanical ventilation, the Vaticans said.
On Sunday, Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will read the pope's homily in St. Peter's Square for the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering.
The two highest-ranking secretariat officials are 70-year-old Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's Secretary of State, and 65-year-old Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the "substitute," who serves as a papal chief of staff
Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14.
This is his longest hospital stay since he became pope in 2013.
The pope has had prior respiratory problems and had part of one lung removed while he was a young man in Argentina.
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2 days ago
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UPI
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