Pope Francis Awake and in Good Spirits After Hospitalization

Rome: Pope Francis has woken up after a restful night and is continuing treatment at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Hospital, Vatican sources said on Monday morning. “The mood is good” and he is “eating normally,” they reported, also noting that the pontiff was “not in pain.”

According to Ansa News Agency, the “suffering” noted in a medical bulletin issued on Saturday evening was attributed to a prolonged respiratory crisis that the pope experienced. Earlier in the morning, the Vatican had announced that the pontiff’s tenth night in the hospital “went well; the Pope slept and is resting,” as stated by the Vatican Press Office.

On Sunday, the Vatican clarified that the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff’s condition remained critical following respiratory crises on Saturday. A medical bulletin indicated that blood tests showed the pope’s thrombocytopenia, characterized by a low platelet count, was stable. However, early, mild signs of kidney failure were detected, but these are currently under control. The bulletin also stated that the pontiff continues to receive high-flow oxygen therapy.

Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on 14 February after experiencing breathing difficulties. He was initially treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.