Pope Francis has been hospitalized following reports of being in critical condition after coming down with a lung infection. The 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church was reported Saturday to have passed “night passed quietly” and “the pope rested,” also saying Francis remains conscious and tests were still being conducted, Forbes reported. Francis is still on supplemental oxygen and tests showed “initial, mild” kidney failure, the Vatican said, according to the AP, still doctors said the situation is under control and the pope is alert and “well-oriented.”
The pope’s medical team previously said Friday that his condition was not life-threatening, but that he is “not out of danger.”
The Vatican released an Angelus statement from Pope Francis on Sunday, in which the pope remarked on the upcoming third anniversary of the war in Ukraine and thanked the public for their messages of support about his hospital stay, asking people to “pray for me.”
“I am confidently continuing my hospitalization at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment; and rest is also part of the therapy!” Pope Francis said, as translated by The Vatican.
“I sincerely thank the doctors and health workers of this hospital for the attention they are showing me and the dedication with which they carry out their service among the sick,” he added.
The Pope has asked Catholics to pray for him, as he continues to receive treatment.
The pontiff though unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second Sunday running said in a message written over the last few days that he was “confidently continuing” hospitalization at Rome’s Gemeli Hospital and “carrying on with the necessary treatment”.
Well-wishers have continued to pray outside the hospital.
Dozens of people have been seen lighting candles and leaving them at the foot of a nearby statue of the late Pope John Paul II.
The 88-year-old was first admitted to hospital on 14 February after experiencing difficulties breathing for several days.
