The Vatican reported Monday that Pope Francis' condition is still 'critical' but that he is showing 'slight improvement.' Moreover, 'some laboratory tests have improved,' though the Pope is still receiving oxygen therapy.
(LifeSiteNews) -- The Vatican is reporting that Pope Francis' condition is still "critical" but that he is showing "slight improvement."
In a Monday statement, the Vatican remarked that "some laboratory tests have improved" and "there have been no episodes of astiform respiratory crises."
Pope Francis is also continuing to receive oxygen therapy, and the Vatican says that his "mild" kidney failure is "not a concern." The Pontiff received the Eucharist Monday morning, worked in the afternoon, and "called the parish priest of Gaza to express his paternal closeness" in the evening.
Prior to the Vatican's Monday statement, "reliable sources" at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome claimed that Francis had less than 72 hours to live.
This latest report follows updates over the weekend which indicated that Francis’ health is in decline, with the 88-year-old requiring blood transfusions, high flows of oxygen and presenting symptoms of mild kidney failure.
Francis was taken to Gemelli Hospital on Friday, February 14, for bronchitis, and since then was diagnosed with double pneumonia in what was described as a “complex” medical scenario. The Vatican announced Saturday that Francis remains in critical condition and was recently administered a blood transfusion and “high flows” of oxygen. (For full background, see LifeSiteNews’ coverage here.)
