The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis, 88, is in critical condition and is suffering kidney failure in hospital.
Blood tests show the pontiff is suffering early kidney failure as Francis battles pneumonia and a complex lung infection, officials said in a statement last night.
In an update this morning, the Vatican said in a brief statement that Francis, 88, had a good night and was resting after he was ‘well oriented’ on Sunday and attended Mass.
‘The night passed well, the pope slept and is resting’, it said as the Pope entered his 11th day at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, making this the longest hospitalisation of his papacy.
The pope, the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted on Valentine’s Day with breathing difficulties.
Officials said on Sunday that the Pope hadn’t had any more respiratory crises since Saturday night but was still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen, reiterating that Francis was still considered to be in critical condition.
Some blood tests showed ‘initial, mild, kidney failure,’ but doctors said it was under control. The decreased platelet count, necessary for clotting, that was first detected Saturday was stable.
‘The complexity of the clinical picture, and the necessary wait for drug therapies to provide some feedback, dictate that the prognosis remains reserved,’ the doctors concluded.
Earlier on Sunday, the Pope from his hospital bed thanked doctors as well as people sending ‘prayers of comfort’ from all over the world.
‘I am confidently continuing my hospitalisation at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment – and rest is also part of the therapy!’ the pontiff wrote in a statement.
He shared on Twitter/X on Sunday: ‘I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children.
‘Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!’
