The Vatican said earlier Thursday that Pope Francis had “good night” while continuing his rest at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
“The night passed quietly; the Pope is still resting,” the Holy See’s Media Office said in a statement released on X.
The 88-year-old pope, who has chronic lung disease and removed part of one lung at a young age, has stabilized for two days after suffering two respiratory crises on Monday. The doctor stressed that his prognosis was still protected due to the complex pictures.
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Pope Francis waved from the central corridor of St. Peter’s Basilica in Easter “urbi et orbi’severse” and blessed the city and the world as part of the Holy Week celebrations held in the Vatican on March 31, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/pool/afp/Getty)
He has been sleeping in a non-invasive mechanical mask in recent days to ensure his lungs expand properly overnight and help him recover. He has been transitioning to receiving oxygen with his nasal tube during the day.
The Vatican said Wednesday’s pope marked the beginning of Lent and was called by receiving ashes on his forehead and calling the parish pastor in Gaza. He also added physical therapy to his hospital’s regular respiratory therapy.
The Catholic Church opened a solemn Lent season without the participation of the Pope. A cardinal took over his place, held a brief repentance between the two churches on Mount Aven and held an Ashes Wednesday sermon to unite and thank you.
Girl with ashes on forehead praying for the health of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
In the ashes of Wednesday, observers received signs of a cross on their foreheads, a gesture that underscores human mortality. This is a necessary day for fasting and abstinence, marking the beginning of the most regretful season of Christianity, with Easter on April 20.
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The Pope should attend a spiritual retreat with the rest of the Holy See this weekend. The Vatican said Tuesday that the retreat continued without Francis but “interaction with the spirit” with him. The topic chosen before Francis fell ill was “Hope in Immortality.”
Mexican painter Roberto Marquez made a painting of Pope Francis outside the Asphio hospital in Rome on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
