Pope Francis Experiences Respiratory Difficulties
ROME (AP) — The Vatican reported Friday that Pope Francis experienced a bronchial spasm, leading to aspiration of vomit, and requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation, marking a setback in his ongoing two-week fight against double pneumonia.
The Vatican stated in a late update that the 88-year-old Pope responded favorably, showing good gas exchange and remaining conscious and alert.
This development represents a reversal after two consecutive days of increasingly positive reports from doctors treating Francis at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since February 14.
The incident, occurring in the early afternoon, caused a “sudden worsening of the respiratory picture,” prompting doctors to maintain a guarded prognosis.
The Vatican has already made alternative arrangements for Ash Wednesday next week, indicating that Francis still has a considerable recovery ahead. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, a Vatican official and former vicar of Rome, will lead the March 5 ceremony and procession that begins the church’s Lenten season before Easter in April.
Earlier on Friday, Francis spent the morning alternating between high flows of supplemental oxygen via mask and praying in the chapel. According to the Vatican, he had breakfast, read the newspapers, and underwent respiratory physiotherapy.
Doctors have not resumed describing Francis as being in “critical condition,” a term absent from their statements for the past three days.
Prayers continued to pour in
In Mexico City, a small group gathered at the cathedral Thursday night to pray for Francis’s recovery.
“He is like family,” said Araceli Gutiérrez, who cherishes her encounter with the Pope during his 2016 trip to the country with nearly 100 million Catholics. “That’s why we’re so worried about him.”
María Teresa Sánchez, visiting from Colombia with her sister, expressed her longstanding connection with Francis, the first Latin American Pope.
“It’s like having a relative in high places, with God,” she said. “He’s done so much for religion; he’s such a humble person.”
Upcoming calendar in question
Despite his progress, changes are being made to Francis’s immediate schedule. The Vatican has canceled a Holy Year audience scheduled for Saturday, and it is uncertain whether Francis will deliver his Sunday noon blessing for the third consecutive week. With Ash Wednesday delegated to a cardinal, the next significant events are Holy Week and Easter, which falls on April 20 this year.
In previous years, when Francis has suffered from bronchitis and influenza during winter, he reduced his involvement in Ash Wednesday and Holy Week events, which require the Pope to be outdoors in the cold conducting services, participating in processions, and leading prayers during the solemn period commemorating Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Beyond that, Francis has several major upcoming events that he likely hopes to attend if his health permits. On April 27, he is scheduled to canonize Carlo Acutis, considered the first millennial saint. The Vatican views the Italian teenager, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, as an inspiration for young Catholics.
Another important event is the May 24 commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, Christianity’s first ecumenical council. The spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew I, has invited Francis to join him in Iznik, Turkey, to commemorate the anniversary, which he has described as an important sign of reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Before his illness, Francis expressed his hope to attend, although the Vatican has not confirmed the trip.
Maria Hernandez contributed from Mexico City.
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