Pope Francis “rested well overnight and woke up shortly after 8:00 am”, according to the Holy See press office on Wednesday morning.
The 88 -year -old Pope receives treatment for bilateral pneumonia at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
“Its global clinical condition remains stable, including heart, renal and blood values,” Vatican News reported, the portal of Official Holy See.
Why it matters
Pope Francis is at the head of the Catholic Church, which has about 1.3 billion believers among his herd. Speculations on the potential resignation of the Pope began to circulate shortly after his hospitalization.
What to know
Pope Francis has been hospitalized since February 14, the longest stay of its 12 -year papacy. The Pope is suffering from a chronic pulmonary disease and has been part of a lung removed in his youth.
Monday, Francis suffered two respiratory crises, Return your recovery. Doctors withdrew a large amount of mucus from his lungs and placed it on a non -invasive mechanical ventilation mask overnight to help his breathing.
Tuesday morning, it was stable enough to switch to additional high speed oxygen through a nasal tube.
Tuesday eveningThe Holy See said that Pope Francis remained in a stable state, breathing using additional oxygen after respiratory crises the day before, although doctors plan to resume using a ventilation mask at night.
Francis’ treatment continues as the Vatican is preparing for Lent, the solemn period starting on the ashes on Wednesday and leading to Easter on April 20.
A cardinal was appointed to take the place of Francis during the Vatican celebrations, with a traditional service and a procession in Rome
On Wednesday of ashes, Catholics observers receive a sign of the cross in ashes on the forehead, a gesture which underlines human mortality. It is a compulsory day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics which signals the beginning of the most penitent season of Christianity.
Vatican Media via the Vatican Pool / Getty Images
On February 20, the Italian cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, a retired prelate which was not widely considered to be close to the Pope, alluded in a radio interview that Francis could resign.
Asked about the possibility of resignation during a Vatican press conference, French Cardinal Jean -Marc Aveline – sometimes mentioned as a potential successor of François – replied: “Anything is possible”.
As a rule, the popes die in office, although the predecessor of Francis, Pope Benoît XVI, resigned as a pope in 2013 because of age and poor health.
What people say
Reverend Fernando Laguna, rector of the Argentine church in Rome, told AP outside the hospital: “I am very happy to be now close to him. I would like to hug him, but it is not possible, but he told us that a prayer was like a hug. So I am happy despite the pain.”
Pope Francis posted on X on March 2: “I want to thank you for your prayers, who go up to the Lord of the heart of so many faithful many parts of the world. I feel all your affection and your proximity and, at this particular moment, I have the impression that I am transported ” and supported by all the people of God.”
What happens next
While his condition has stabilized, His prognosis remains kept, indicating that he is not yet out of danger.
This article includes reports from the Associated Press.