In his continued battle against double pneumonia, Pope Francis remains in a stable condition and has not suffered additional episodes of respiratory failure since the most recent scare on March 3. However, doctors are still refraining from giving an overall prognosis. <br><br>In a March 6 communique, the Vatican said the Pope’s condition “remained stable” as it has for the previous two days, and that he has not experienced any additional episodes of respiratory failure, following several recent instances.
He continued with respiratory and mobility therapy today, his blood tests were also stable and he continues to not have a fever.
Despite several days of good news for Pope Francis, who was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 for treatment of a complex respiratory infection and double pneumonia, doctors are still maintaining an overall “guarded” prognosis, which remains unclear.
The Pope spent Thursday morning working, and in the afternoon he alternated rest with prayer, receiving the Eucharist before lunch.
Earlier on Thursday, Vatican sources said Pope Francis continues to receive high-flow oxygen administered through nasal cannulas – tubes – during the day.
Given his ongoing hospitalisation, he will be unable to preside over events for the Jubilee for the world of Volunteering this weekend. A Mass for the event will instead be celebrated by Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.
As the Pope continues treatment, prayers and Masses are being offered daily for his health and recovery, including a nightly rosary said in St. Peter’s Square, and which is led and attended by cardinals resident in Rome and members of the Roman Curia.
Thursday’s nightly rosary is scheduled to be led by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, a second-in-command position serving under the Vatican’s first woman dicastery prefect, Italian Sister Simona Brambilla.
Given the Pope’s stability over three days, doctors said they would not be providing a medical update on Friday, March 7, meaning the next information they will release on the Pope’s condition will come Saturday evening, local time in Rome.
<a href="https://thecatholicherald.com/pope-spends-restful-first-night-of-lent-after-his-homily-read-out-at-ash-wednesday-mass/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color"><em><strong>RELATED: Pope shows he can still pen a stirring Ash Wednesday homily from hospital bed</strong></em></mark></a>
<em>Photo: A statue of Pope Francis is displayed alongside statues of Saint Francis of Assisi and other popes in a souvenir shop near St Peter's Square, Vatican City, 6 March 2025. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.)</em>
