Pope Francis had coffee and read newspapers on Saturday following a concerning setback in his two-week recovery from double pneumonia, reports AP.
Doctors placed him on noninvasive mechanical ventilation after he suffered a coughing fit, during which he inhaled vomit that had to be extracted.
Medical experts stated that it would take a day or two to assess whether Friday afternoon’s incident had affected the pope’s overall condition. His prognosis remained guarded, meaning he was still not out of danger.
In a Saturday morning update, the Vatican confirmed that the 88-year-old pope experienced no further respiratory crises overnight: “The night has passed quietly, the pope is resting.” He had coffee with breakfast, indicating he was not reliant on a ventilation mask for breathing and continued to eat independently.
In its late Friday update, the Vatican described the incident as an “isolated crisis of bronchial spasm,” where a coughing fit caused the pope to inhale vomit, leading to a “sudden worsening of the respiratory picture.” Doctors aspirated the vomit and placed him on noninvasive mechanical ventilation.
Throughout the episode, Pope Francis remained conscious, alert, and cooperative with the necessary medical interventions. He responded well, maintaining good oxygen exchange levels and continuing to use a mask for supplemental oxygen, according to the Vatican.
The incident marked a setback after two consecutive days of increasingly positive updates from doctors treating him at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since his admission on 14 February. The pope, who had part of one lung removed in his youth, suffers from lung disease and was hospitalised when a case of bronchitis worsened into pneumonia affecting both lungs.
Doctors express concern
The Vatican noted that this episode differed from the prolonged respiratory crisis reported on 22 February, which had caused discomfort for the pope.
Dr John Coleman, a pulmonary critical care physician at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, described the event as alarming, highlighting the pope’s fragility and the rapid changes in his condition.
“I find this extremely concerning, given that the pope has been hospitalised for over two weeks and continues to experience respiratory episodes, now including an aspiration event that requires greater support,” Coleman told The Associated Press.
“Considering his age, fragile state, and prior lung resection, this is very concerning,” he added, though he is not involved in Francis’ treatment.
Dr William Feldman, a pulmonary specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, agreed that while it was reassuring the pope remained alert during the episode, it still marked “a worrying turn.”
“Often, we use noninvasive ventilation to prevent the need for intubation or invasive mechanical ventilation,” Feldman explained.
Types of noninvasive ventilation include a BiPAP machine, which assists breathing by pushing air into the lungs. Doctors typically monitor whether a patient’s blood gas levels improve with its use before transitioning back to oxygen therapy alone. Friday’s statement indicated Francis showed a “good response” to gas exchange through ventilation.
Doctors have not resumed describing Francis as being in “critical condition,” a term absent from statements for the past three days. However, they caution that he remains at risk due to the complexity of his health situation.
Prayers continue worldwide
Francis’ hospitalisation coincides with the Vatican’s Holy Year, drawing pilgrims to Rome from around the world. Many are walking through the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica and making pilgrimages to Assisi, the hometown of his namesake, St Francis.
“Every day, we’re praying for the pope,” said the Rev. Jacinto Bento, a priest visiting Assisi on Saturday with 30 Jubilee pilgrims from the Azores Islands. “We’re very sad about his condition.”
Veronica Abraham, a catechist and Argentine native, visited Assisi on Saturday with her two children and other parish kids from Lake Garda. She shared that the group had prayed for the pope at every church they had visited.
“I’m sure he’s hearing our prayers, that he feels our closeness,” she said.
Serena Barbon, visiting Assisi from Treviso with her husband and three children, expressed hope that if Francis does not recover, his successor will carry on his legacy.
“He’s been very charismatic, and we pray for him and that any new pope might also be someone who puts the poor at the centre. Because in some way, we are all the poor,” she said.
