Despite a reported ‘slight improvement’ in his condition, Pope Francis will not attend a Jubilee Year audience this weekend, the Holy See announced, as his hospitalization continues.
(LifeSiteNews) — As Pope Francis continues to receive treatment in hospital, the Holy See Press Office has announced that the Pontiff will not be able to attend a jubilee audience scheduled this weekend.
The press office informed journalists early Thursday that, despite a “slight improvement” in the Pope’s condition, he would not be able to attend the jubilee audience at St. Peter’s Square on March 1, where he was slated to deliver an address to pilgrims of the 2025 Jubilee in Rome.
The press office stated this morning that Francis “slept well at night and is now resting” after having shown a “slight improvement” in health the night before.
The Pope is currently scheduled to take part in Ash Wednesday liturgical ceremonies next week and is also due to meet with some of Rome’s priests next Thursday. Such meetings, however, appear very unlikely as the Pope remains in a "critical" condition in hospital with his prognosis kept confidential by his medical team.
Amid declining health, Pope Francis has spent 13 days in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for bronchitis, and since then was diagnosed with double pneumonia in what was described as a “complex” medical scenario.
Since February 22, the Pope’s doctors have described his condition as “critical,” and though they have reported improvements on subsequent days, Vatican sources affirmed this morning that Francis's condition does indeed remain “critical.”
He experienced symptoms of "mild "kidney failure on Sunday and has been receiving supplementary oxygen with varying degrees of high and low volume.
In a Wednesday evening update, the Holy See Press Office stated that Francis’ mild kidney failure “has subsided” and that test results for “blood chemistry and blood cell count” confirmed his improvement. His oxygen treatment remains a regular feature, and his prognosis remains confidential. (For full background, see LifeSiteNews’ coverage here.)
