PREVIEW

Vatican Monitors Pope Francis’ Health as Risk of Crisis Remains. Pope Francis remains in stable condition without fever, the Vatican confirmed, days after he experienced a sudden respiratory episode while battling double pneumonia. Vatican sources warned that despite stability, his condition remains "complex" with an ongoing "risk of crisis" following his Friday hospitalization for respiratory distress. The 88-year-old pontiff had difficulty breathing, compounded by vomiting, and required high-flow oxygen through a mask but was not intubated, sources confirmed. Francis is now back to receiving oxygen through nasal cannulas, but the Vatican has not indicated how much longer he will remain in the hospital. On Monday morning, the Vatican said the Pope “rested well” overnight. On Sunday, he followed his routine of having coffee, reading newspapers, and receiving medical care. Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra visited the pope in the hospital, where he reportedly remained in good spirits and participated in Holy Mass. Despite his hospitalization, Francis issued his Angelus prayer, calling for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Kivu, and described his illness as a “blessing." This marks the longest hospital stay of his papacy. He has suffered from lung-related issues for most of his life, having part of a lung removed as a young man. Due to his condition, the pope will not lead next week’s Ash Wednesday service, only the second time he has missed it in his 12-year papacy. Argentinian Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, while praying for Francis, urged people to extend their prayers to those suffering from war, illness, and poverty worldwide.
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