Pope's condition remains 'critical': Vatican
Candles, flowers and a portrait of Pope Francis are laid at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized in Rome on 22 February 2025. Pope Francis passes another calm night in hospital, the Vatican said on 21 February 2025 in its morning update, as the 88-year-old spent his seventh day in hospital being treated for pneumonia.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI
Vatican City, Holy See — Pope Francis's condition "continues to be critical", the Vatican said Saturday, saying the 88-year-old was alert but had a respiratory attack that required "high-flow oxygen", and also blood transfusions.
"The Holy Father's condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday, the pope is not out of danger," the Vatican said in its regular early evening update.
"This morning Pope Francis presented a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis, which also required the application of high-flow oxygen," it said.
Daily blood tests "showed thrombocytopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions", it added.
"The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair even if he was suffering more than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved."
Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, but it turned into pneumonia in both lungs, causing widespread alarm.
The pontiff's doctors had told a press conference on Friday there was no imminent risk to his life but that he was "not out of danger".