Pope Francis Remains in Critical Condition Despite Signs of Overnight Improvement

Pope Francis continues to be hospitalized in critical condition for a complex respiratory infection, including double pneumonia and bronchitis and is currently resting after receiving high-flow oxygen treatment.

“The night went well; the Pope slept and is resting,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement published Monday.

Francis, the 88-year-old pope who was elected in 2013, had been in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for the past 10 days for treatment of bronchitis, which he had been dealing with for a week prior to his hospitalization. However, his condition worsened after severe breathing difficulties were reported Saturday morning, NPR reported. 

On Sunday, the pope’s medical team noted he had also shown signs of “mild” kidney failure, but the Vatican asserted that was under control. Francis was also diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, a condition characterized by a low count of the platelets in blood that help to form clots.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the pope was given blood transfusions to help “bring up his hemoglobin levels.”

The pope carried on with some of his duties despite his ongoing illness.  According to the Vatican, the pope still attended Mass, sat up straight, and read some of the good wishes that he had received from all around the world.

The Vatican also shot down rumors that Pope Francis would be resigning from his position. In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said in an interview that such rumors were nothing more than “unfounded speculation.”

“I think it is quite normal in these situations for unverified rumors to circulate or for misplaced comments to be made — this is certainly not the first time,” Parolin said. “However, I do not believe there is any particular movement in this regard, and so far, I have not heard anything of the sort.”

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Giulio Origlia/Stringer

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.

Originally published February 24, 2025.