Pope’s Condition Stable Says Vatican

Vatican City: The Vatican announced that Pope Francis’s condition is stable following his admission to Rome’s Agostino Gemelli hospital due to bronchitis. The Pope was admitted on Friday, and as of Sunday, his clinical condition shows stability.

According to Ansa News Agency, the Vatican Press Office reported that Pope Francis had a restful night and continues to follow the therapeutic diagnostic process as prescribed by the medical staff. On Sunday morning, he received the Eucharist and followed Holy Mass on television, while the afternoon was spent alternating between reading and rest.

In the text of his Angelus address, released by the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis expressed gratitude to the healthcare professionals treating him. The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff did not deliver the address in person, adhering to doctors’ advice for rest.

The Vatican reported on Saturday that tests confirmed a “respiratory tract infection,” with some improvement in the Pope’s medical parameters. In his Angelus text, the Pope addressed participants of a Jubilee event for artists, expressing his desire to join them but citing his need for ongoing treatment.

Pope Francis also conveyed thanks for the support he has received, including affection, prayers, and closeness, and expressed appreciation for the doctors and healthcare workers at the hospital. He called for prayers for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu, and Sudan.