Pope Francis remains hospitalized in critical condition while receiving treatment for double pneumonia and mild kidney failure, the Vatican reported on Sunday (23).
The pope had difficulty breathing for several days before being admitted on February 14 at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome. Later, doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia in both lungs, known as “double pneumonia.”
He has been treated with oxygen administration and required a blood transfusion.
On the social media platform X early Sunday afternoon, local time, Pope Francis, who is 88 years old, expressed gratitude for the supportive notes and prayers dedicated to his well-being during his time under medical care.
“I recently received many messages of affection, and I was particularly touched by the letters and drawings from children,” he said. “Thank you for your closeness, and for the comforting prayers I have received from all over the world!”
Francis, who had part of a lung removed when he was young, has faced a series of medical issues in recent years, including flu and various respiratory illnesses. In 2021, he underwent surgery to treat a gastrointestinal disease and returned to the operating room two years later to address a hernia.
Many around the world have gathered to pray for Francis, who is the spiritual leader of nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. From near the hospital in Rome, where the pope is being treated in an apartment dedicated to popes, to South Korea, to his native Argentina, the faithful are holding vigils and prayers for the pontiff.
Source: NBC News