VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, who is being treated in hospital for double pneumonia, will not appear in public on Sunday (Feb 23) to lead his usual prayer with pilgrims for a second consecutive week, the Vatican said.
Pope Francis is being treated at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he was admitted on Feb 14 after experiencing difficulty in breathing for several days.
His medical team has given mixed signals about his health, telling reporters on Friday that while he was not out of danger, he did not have a life-threatening condition at present.
The Vatican issued a very brief statement on Saturday to say the pope had “rested well” overnight. However, unlike the previous two days, it made no mention of whether he had got up or had breakfast.
The Holy See press office later said that the text of the Sunday Angelus prayer would be published rather than read out.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican has described the pope’s infection as “complex”, saying it is being caused by two or more micro-organisms.
“The pope is not out of danger. The situation could go either way,” Dr Sergio Alfieri, a senior member of the Gemelli staff, told reporters on Friday.
