Pope Francis remained stable during the day on Sunday, and as the 88-year-old diocese battled double pneumonia, he no longer needed the use of mechanical ventilation to breathe, signs of progress.
Francis has been staying at Gemeri Hospital in Rome for more than two weeks. He was noted on February 14th with a severe respiratory infection causing other complications.
“The clinical condition of the Holy Father remained stable throughout the day,” said the latest detailed update on the Pope’s status on Sunday. The Pope no longer needed the use of what the Vatican calls “non-invasive mechanical ventilation,” but continued to receive oxygen through a small hose under his nose.
The statement said the Pope did not develop a fever on Sunday. The doctor said he was protecting his prognosis as “protected” because of the “complexity of the clinical picture.”
Francis, who is spending his 17th night at the hospital, met with two Vatican officials on Sunday and thanked them for their prayers and support in a written message.
“I want to thank you for your prayers,” Francis said in a note released by the Vatican instead of a regular Sunday prayer with pilgrims. “I feel all your love and intimacy… It feels as if I’m ‘carrying’ and being supported by all God’s people,” the message said.
Treatment continues
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said he met two Vatican officials, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Parolin’s aide on Sunday.
Known to tackle fatigue, the Pope continued to lead the Vatican while in hospital, and finally met Parolyn and his lieutenant on February 24th at Gemeri.
Vatican officials who didn’t want to be named because they were not allowed to discuss the Pope’s health said on Sunday that Francis was eating normally and continuing treatment, moving around hospital rooms.
Francis has experienced several illness health over the past two years, and is prone to pulmonary infections as a young adult, as he has inflamed the pleura and removed part of one lung.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection of both lungs, which can become inflamed and scarred, making breathing difficult. The Vatican says the Pope’s infection is “complex” and was caused by two or more microorganisms.
The Pope has not been seen publicly since entering the hospital. His pope has been his longest-time absent since it began in March 2013, and his doctors have not said how long his treatment will last.