Pope Francis said Friday that he suffered from bronchial convulsions, breathing vomit and requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation, the Vatican relayed the retreat in a two-week long battle with dual pneumonia.
The 88-year-old Pope responded well with a good level of gas exchange and remained aware and vigilant at all times, the Vatican said in an updated update.
The development marked a two-day set-off of two consecutive reports from doctors treating Francis at Gemeri Hospital in Rome since February 14th.
This episode, which occurred early in the afternoon, led to a “sudden deterioration in the breathing image.” The doctors decided that his prognosis was maintained.
The Vatican already has a replacement plan for next week’s Ash Wednesday, making it clear that Francis still has a long way to go. Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, a former pastor in Rome, will host the ceremony and procession on March 5th, and will launch a strict rental season for the church, leading up to Easter in April.
Earlier on Friday, Francis was praying in the chapel, alternating with masks to high flows of supplementary oxygen in the morning. He had breakfast, read the newspapers that day and had undergone respiratory physiotherapy, the Vatican said.
Doctors did not resume referring to Francis in “crisis.”
The prayers continued to pour
In Mexico City, dozens of people gathered at the cathedral on Thursday night to pray for Francis’ recovery.
“He seems to be part of the family,” Alacelli Gutierrez said.
Maria Teresa Sanchez, who was visiting from Colombia with her sister, said she was always close to Francis – the first Latin American pope.
“It’s like having a relative with God with a higher person,” she said. “He’s done so much for religion. He’s a very humble person.”
Future calendar of questions
Over the past few years, when Francis fought bronchitis and flu in the winter, he suppressed participation in events of Ash Wednesday and Holy Week. He asks the Pope to be outdoors in the cold main services, and participates in prayer and governs prayer in times of faithful memorials, where the cross and resurrection of Christ are sole.
Beyond that, Francis has several major events. On April 27th, he was due to the canonization of Carlo Akotis, considered the first millennial and the saint of the digital age. The Vatican considers an Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, the inspiration for young Catholics.
Another important appointment is the commemoration of May 24th, the 1,700th anniversary of the Nisia Council, the first ecumenical council of Christianity. Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of orthodox Christians around the world, invited Francis to join Iznik in Turkey, to commemorate the anniversary that has been called an important sign of reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Before he got sick, Francis said he wanted to go, but the Vatican has not confirmed his trip.
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Maria Hernandez contributed from Mexico City.
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