Pope's Condition "stable" with "slight improvement," Vatican says
Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, leads the rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica at 9 p.m. local time.
Saturday night, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, leads the rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica at 9 p.m. local time. pic.twitter.com/bKKhk34TF7
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) March 1, 2025
On Saturday, doctors, nurses, and health care workers from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital brave the rain on a jubilee pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica, praying for Pope Francis and renewing their commitment to care. They pass through the Holy Door and attend Mass at the Vatican.
Doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital braved the rain on a Jubilee pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica, praying for Pope Francis and renewing their commitment to care. pic.twitter.com/Dbk9pf2ypE
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) March 1, 2025
On Saturday evening, the Vatican reports Pope Francis is stable following Friday’s bronchospasm episode, though his prognosis remains reserved. The 88-year-old pontiff is receiving respiratory treatments at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
The Holy Father has no fever and shows no signs of infection. His vital signs remain stable as he alternates between noninvasive ventilation and oxygen therapy. The pope has received the Eucharist today and is spending time in prayer.
Vatican officials confirm no further bronchospasm episodes have occurred. The prognosis remains reserved as doctors continue monitoring his condition carefully. Tomorrow’s Angelus will be distributed in written form rather than delivered in person.
Catholics worldwide are gathering for prayer vigils, with nightly rosaries continuing at St. Peter’s Square for the pontiff’s recovery.
March 1, 2025 at 03:18 am ET
Manuel Fernández led prayers for Pope Francis on Feb. 28, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Pope Francis spent a “peaceful night and is resting,” according to a succinct Saturday morning statement from the Holy See Press Office.
This update follows Friday’s concerning development when the 88-year-old pope began noninvasive ventilation at Gemelli Hospital after experiencing “an isolated crisis of bronchospasm” that resulted in “a sudden worsening” of his respiratory condition, according to the Vatican.
The Holy Father’s condition had been described as “complex” with a “guarded” prognosis in earlier updates.
Catholics worldwide continue to pray for Pope Francis, with the nightly rosary vigil at St. Peter’s Square drawing faithful participants since the pontiff’s hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia in mid-February.
A faithful holds a rosary with a medal bearing Pope Francis’ image during the nightly prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, will lead tonight’s rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. local time. The nightly prayer vigil continues to draw cardinals residing in Rome, Vatican officials, and faithful from around the city.
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, prays before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Child during the rosary vigil for Pope Francis at the Vatican on Feb. 28, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
On Friday night, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, led the recitation of the rosary, joined by other cardinals, Roman Curia leaders, and the faithful who gathered for the evening prayer in solidarity with the hospitalized pontiff.
Cardinals and prelates gather in St. Peter’s Square for the evening rosary vigil, praying for Pope Francis’ recovery from his respiratory condition on Feb. 28, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Pope Francis’ health condition “still remains reserved” after he “presented an isolated crisis of bronchospasm,” the Holy See Press Office says in a statement Friday evening Rome time.
The event “resulted in an episode of vomiting with inhalation and sudden worsening of the respiratory picture,” the statement continues. The pope was “promptly bronchoaspirated and began noninvasive mechanical ventilation.”
Pope Francis “remained alert and oriented at all times, cooperating with therapeutic maneuvers,” the statement says, noting that he received the Eucharist in the morning.
On Friday morning, Feb. 28, the Holy See Press Office reports that Pope Francis had a “calm” and restful 14th night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital as his treatment for bilateral pneumonia continues.
“As in recent days, the night passed calmly, and the pope is now resting,” the Vatican statement notes, providing the faithful with a brief but positive update on the pontiff’s condition.
Further updates are expected later in the morning, Rome time.
According to Thursday evening’s press release, the 88-year-old pontiff’s clinical picture continues to improve, though his medical situation remains “complex” and his prognosis “guarded.”
Meanwhile, the 9 p.m. rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square continues for the fifth consecutive evening on Friday, with Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, leading the prayers.
Four years ago, Pope Francis prayed for the world—now, the world prays for him. For the fourth night, hundreds gathered to pray the Rosary in St. Peter’s Square led by Cardinal Reina. ???? Let’s continue to keep the Holy Father in our prayers. pic.twitter.com/U8ga7UApHO
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) February 27, 2025
For the fourth night in a row the cardinals residing in Rome gather with hundreds of faithful in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. for the recitation of the rosary for the health of Pope Francis.
Crowds gather to pray the rosary for Pope Francis’ health on Feb. 27, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Crowds gather to pray the rosary for Pope Francis’ health on Feb. 27, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
The prayer is presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina leads a rosary prayer service for Pope Francis’ health on Feb. 27, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Cardinal Baldassare Reina celebrates Mass at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Church of San Marcello al Corso in Rome.
Faithful attend Mass on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Church of San Marcello al Corso in Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
The church houses the crucifix that was used during the extraordinary urbi et orbi blessing on March 27, 2020, in St. Peter’s Square during the “Extraordinary Moment of Prayer in a Time of Epidemic” presided over by Pope Francis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Francis during the COVID-19 pandemic is housed at the Church San Marcello al Corsco in Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
The crucifix, so dear to the Holy Father, was invoked in prayer for the gift of health for the beloved bishop of Rome.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina venerates the crucifix used during the extraordinary urbi et orbi blessing on March 27, 2020, in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Francis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
The Vatican in an update on Thursday evening Rome time says Pope Francis’ condition is “improving.” Due to his overall complex medical condition, however, the statement says “further days of clinical stability” are needed for a change in his current critical prognosis.
“Today he alternated high-flow oxygen therapy with a ventimask,” the statement says. After resting, on Thursday afternoon the Holy Father went to the chapel in his private apartment on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital in Rome for prayer and to receive the Eucharist before attending “to work activities,” the statement concludes.
Pope Francis is resting well at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he has been treated for a respiratory infection for 13 nights. Vatican officials report Thursday morning he “slept well overnight” and his condition is improving, though they maintain “the prognosis remains cautious.”
During his hospitalization, a touching letter the pope wrote to a grieving mother has surfaced. “Jesus, who weeps with us, will sow in our hearts all the answers we seek,” Francis wrote to Cinzia, whose 21-year-old son never returned home after an evening out in 2019.
Prayer vigils continue with the holy rosary scheduled for tonight at 9 p.m. Rome time in St. Peter’s Square, to be presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has canceled the jubilee audience planned for Saturday, March 1, due to the pope’s continued hospitalization.
For the third night in a row, pilgrims gather at 9 p.m. to pray the rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican — the same place where almost five years ago Pope Francis prayed for the world during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Wednesday’s evening rosary is led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
Pope Francis’ condition over the last day “has shown further slight improvement,” the Holy See Press Office states in an update Wednesday evening Rome time.
A chest CT scan performed at Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday “showed a normal evolution of the pulmonary inflammatory picture,” the statement says. The mild kidney failure the pope has experienced “has receded.”
While the pope continues “high-flow oxygen therapy,” the statement says, he has not experienced any respiratory crises.
“While registering a slight improvement, the prognosis remains reserved,” the statement says.
Pope Francis received the Eucharist in the morning and “the afternoon was devoted to work activities,” the statement concludes.
The Holy See Press Office informs journalists Wednesday morning that Pope Francis has another quiet night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and continues to rest, as his condition remains critical but stable while receiving treatment for double pneumonia.
“The pope had a quiet night and is resting,” the Holy See Press Office tells journalists on Wednesday morning.
The Tuesday evening update on Pope Francis’ health notes that his “clinical condition remains critical but stable. There have been no acute respiratory episodes, and hemodynamic parameters continue to be stable.”
“In the evening, he underwent a scheduled CT scan to radiologically monitor the bilateral pneumonia.
Twice-daily statements have kept the faithful informed about the pope’s health since he was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Friday, Feb. 14, following a bout of bronchitis.
The 88-year-old is currently being treated for double pneumonia, and a health update last week noted that he is also showing signs of mild renal insufficiency, which appears to be under control.
A hospital Holy Hour is one of many prayer initiatives that have sprung up in the Eternal City as the pope remains in critical condition and the global Catholic community continues to offer fervent prayers for him.
The daily Holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration is being held just floors below where Pope Francis, 88, is receiving treatment for pneumonia and early-stage kidney failure — marking the most extended hospitalization of his pontificate.
Pope Francis continues to be in serious but stable condition as he concludes his 12th day in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said.
In the latest communication on the 88-year-old pope’s health, issued on the evening of Feb. 25, doctors said his “clinical condition remains critical but stationary,” without any acute respiratory episodes.
It added that Francis’ hemodynamic parameters — that is, how his blood flows through the blood vessels — is also stable, and he underwent a follow-up CT scan on Tuesday to monitor his lungs following a pneumonia diagnosis last week.
After receiving the Eucharist in the morning, Pope Francis also “resumed work activities,” the message concluded.
Pope Francis spent a peaceful 11th night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, with Vatican officials reporting Tuesday morning that the pontiff “rested well throughout the night.”
The brief statement follows Monday evening’s announcement from the Vatican press office indicating a “slight improvement” in what they continue to describe as the Holy Father’s “critical health condition.”
Hundreds of Catholics gathered in Rome on Monday evening for the first scheduled prayer service in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ health and recovery.
=" width="300" height="150" frameborder="0">
According to Vatican sources, Francis has experienced no further episodes of respiratory distress since his last reported asthmatic episode on Saturday. While oxygen therapy continues, officials confirmed it has been “slightly reduced” in intensity.
The pontiff was admitted to Gemelli Hospital 11 days ago, requiring careful and continuous monitoring by medical staff.
EWTN News White House Correspondent Owen Jensen asks President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, who was visiting the White House for meetings on Monday, if they had a message for Pope Francis:
Hundreds of Catholics gather in Rome on Monday evening for the first scheduled prayer service in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ health and recovery.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin leads the inaugural gathering, which is scheduled to take place nightly at 9 p.m., organized by cardinals living in Rome.
Present at the rosary on Monday are Cardinals Becciu, Muller, Ouellet, Prevost, Versaldi, De Mendonca, Baggio, Artime, Feroci, Bagnasco, Marchetto, Burke, Semeraro, Tagle, Arinze, You Heung Sik, Re, Roche, Reina, and Frezza.
The crowd sings the Salve Regina at the end of the service:
Pope Francis’ condition remains serious but has shown “slight improvement” as he continues treatment on his 11th day in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said Monday evening.
The 88-year-old pontiff is still receiving oxygen therapy through his nose, though at a slightly reduced flow and concentration, according to the Holy See Press Office.
Doctors reported no further episodes of respiratory distress following a “respiratory crisis” on Saturday. Some of the pope’s laboratory tests have improved, and his “mild kidney insufficiency” remains under observation but is not a cause for concern, the Vatican said.
Pope Francis received the Eucharist on Monday morning and resumed some work in the afternoon. Later in the day, he called the parish priest in Gaza to express his solidarity.
Prayers for the pope’s recovery have continued worldwide since he was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14.
At Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where Francis is being treated, the chaplain led prayers and Eucharistic adoration at the St. John Paul II Chapel on Monday, followed by a Mass.
The Vatican announces a new prayer initiative for Pope Francis, with cardinals leading a nightly rosary in St. Peter’s Square starting at 9 p.m. Rome time today. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, will preside over tonight’s first gathering.
" width="300" height="150" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">
While his condition remains critical, Vatican sources report on Monday the Holy Father had a “peaceful night” and is “in good spirits” at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
The pope continues to receive supplemental oxygen and is being monitored for mild early-stage kidney insufficiency. Both conditions are currently under control, following Saturday’s concerning episode that required a blood transfusion due to anemia.
For those wanting to join the cardinals and other Catholics in the rosary for the pontiff, the prayer will be broadcast live on all EWTN television channels worldwide and through the network’s digital platforms, including the EWTN app and YouTube channel.
Pope Francis spends a peaceful night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Holy See Press Office tells journalists Monday morning.
”The night went well, the Pope has slept and is resting,” the Vatican says in its latest update on the pontiff’s condition.
P
