Pope Francis, who has been in hospital with pneumonia for more than two weeks, suffered two episodes of “acute respiratory failure” on Monday, the Vatican said.
The pontiff, 88, had returned to a stable condition during the weekend after a breathing crisis that caused him to vomit on Friday. The Vatican said the episodes on Monday were caused by “significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and a consequent bronchospasm”.
“Two bronchoscopies were therefore performed, requiring aspiration of abundant secretions,” the Vatican said. “In the afternoon, non-invasive mechanical ventilation was resumed.”
The Vatican added that the pope “has always remained vigilant, oriented and collaborative”. Medics’ prognosis remains “guarded”, meaning the pope is not yet out of danger.
Francis was admitted to hospital on 14 February with bronchitis, but his condition deteriorated into pneumonia in both lungs. On 22 February, he suffered a prolonged asthma-style attack and required blood transfusions for a low platelet count. After a few days last week of showing a “slight” improvement, the pope had an episode akin to an asthma attack on Friday that also caused him to inhale vomit.
He is prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed while he was training to be a priest in his native Argentina. Medical experts have said that Francis’s age and the chronic respiratory disease from which he suffers mean a sustained recovery will take time.
In a message shared on X on Sunday, the pope thanked well-wishers for their support after missing his Angelus blessing for a third week in a row. Nightly prayer vigils for the pope’s health are continuing to take place at St Peter’s Basilica as well as in towns and cities across Italy and abroad.
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Before his hospital admission, the pope maintained an intense schedule, especially with events related to the Catholic jubilee year.
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