Public prayers for Pope after 'slight improvement', prognosis 'not decided'

The Vatican has stated that Pope Francis' doctors have not yet made a decision on his prognosis. This follows a "slight improvement" in the Pope's condition on Monday. The 88-year-old Pope was admitted to the hospital on February 14th due to breathing difficulties, and his clinical condition has been described as "complex."

Although the Pope was initially diagnosed with bronchitis, he was subsequently confirmed to have bilateral pneumonia and "mild" kidney failure. In addition, he required blood transfusions over the weekend. The Vatican issued a statement late Monday local time stating that while Pope Francis' condition remained "critical," there had been a "slight improvement." The statement noted: "There were no asthmatic respiratory crises today; some laboratory test results have improved."

The statement also said that the Pope received Holy Communion in the morning and "resumed work" in the afternoon, speaking by telephone with parish priests in Gaza. The statement said that the Pope's "mild" kidney failure was not a cause for concern, and although he was still receiving oxygen therapy, the oxygen concentration had been reduced compared to previous days. It is understood that the Pope is currently eating normally.

Since last week, crowds have gathered outside the Gemelli Hospital in Rome to pray for the Pope. On Monday evening, people also began gathering in Vatican City to express their support. Vatican City, a small country of only 121 acres located entirely within the Italian capital, is the global headquarters of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the second-highest-ranking official in the Vatican, was scheduled to lead a public prayer service in St. Peter's Square at 9 p.m. local time (7 a.m. Tuesday AEDT).

Given the great concern about the Pope's health, Pope Francis has been keen to make his health information public. He posted a message on his official X account on Sunday: "I have recently received many messages full of affection, and I have been particularly touched by the letters and drawings sent by children. Thank you for your closeness and for the comforting prayers I receive from all over the world!" The Pope will now spend his eleventh night in the hospital.

Elise Ann Allen, the Vatican correspondent for the Catholic news publication Crux, said that reports of the Pope's improved condition would bring comfort to Rome. Allen said: "Another encouraging piece of news gives a lot of hope to people who really want to see him recover, and doctors say that he is capable of recovering from this." But she cautioned against predicting his prognosis. "We know he's frail, and he's very sick right now," she said. "Unfortunately, there's no predicting how this is going to go, Pope Francis is a strong person when he's well, he's very resilient when he's not sick."

"But he is an 88-year-old man with chronic lung disease, and we've seen him struggle with respiratory ailments more and more frequently over the last two years. Even in recent months, we've seen him struggle more."