Vatican: Pope's health condition is stable

The Vatican made a written statement regarding the health condition of the 88-year-old Pope , who has been hospitalized in Gemelli Hospital in Rome for 12 days due to severe bronchitis that he had at the beginning of the month and was diagnosed with double-sided pneumonia there.

The statement said, "The Pope's clinical condition is critical but stable. There has been no acute respiratory crisis and hemodynamic parameters remain stable. In the evening, a control computerized tomography was performed for radiological follow-up of bilateral pneumonia. No prediction can be made regarding the course of the disease."

The statement also stated that the Pope continued his work during the day.

In the statement made by the Vatican this morning, it was noted that the Pope spent the night calmly.

POPE HAS BEEN RECEIVING TREATMENT IN HOSPITAL SINCE FEBRUARY 14

Pope Francis was unable to deliver a speech at two public events on February 9 and 12, saying he had bronchitis and difficulty breathing, and asked his aides to read the text of his speeches.

It was reported that the Pope, who was taken to Gemelli Hospital on February 14, had a polymicrobial infection in his respiratory tract.

The Vatican announced on February 18 that the Pope had developed double-sided pneumonia and that his clinical condition painted a complex picture.

In their statement on February 21, the Pope's doctors stated that Pope Francis' life was not in danger, although he was not completely out of danger.

The Pope, who had an asthma attack on February 22, was said to be in "critical condition", while the Vatican statement on February 23 reported that "the Pope has not experienced another respiratory crisis, has a mild onset of renal failure, and is receiving high-flow oxygen supplements through the nose."

The Vatican noted yesterday that Pope Francis' health condition remained critical, but a slight improvement was observed.

HEALTH PROBLEMS HAVE INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS

Pope Francis, who has been the spiritual leader of Catholics since 2013, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital for the first time in 2021 and underwent colon surgery.

The Pope was last treated twice at Gemelli Hospital in 2023, once for shortness of breath and once for an operation to place a prosthesis in the abdominal wall.

The Catholic spiritual leader had been using a wheelchair in recent years due to knee pain.