Title: Pope Francis Remains in Critical Condition but Shows ‘Slight Improvement’: Vatican | Religion News

Vatican says the pope is still receiving oxygen as his hospitalization for double pneumonia nears the two-week mark.

Pope Francis’s condition remains critical but has shown a “slight improvement,” the Vatican stated in its latest update on the 88-year-old pontiff’s health.

In a statement on Monday, the Vatican said, “The clinical conditions of the Holy Father, in their critical nature, show a slight improvement.”

“Today there were no episodes of asthmatic respiratory attacks; some laboratory tests have improved,” it added, noting that Francis had worked in the afternoon after receiving the Eucharist in the morning.

The pope is still receiving oxygen, “although with slightly reduced flow and oxygen percentage,” the statement said.

Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 with breathing difficulties, and his condition subsequently worsened.

He is battling pneumonia in both lungs as well as kidney issues, marking the longest hospital stay of his nearly 12-year papacy.

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” and said it was caused by two or more microorganisms.

The head of the Catholic Church, who has been pope since 2013, has suffered bouts of ill health over the past two years.

He is particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.

Francis’s continued hospitalization has prompted a global outpouring of concern and support, with a special prayer organized for Monday evening in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

Tributes have also been left outside the hospital where he is being treated.

Maria Vozlv, a Ukrainian who has lived in Rome for 18 years, said many in her home country are praying for Francis.

The pontiff has often decried the war in Ukraine, which hit the three-year mark on Monday, and prayed for peace.

“We Ukrainians are really praying for him,” Vozlv said. “He needs to get well and come home.”

Earlier on Monday, the Vatican said the pope had a peaceful night, with a Vatican source stating he was “not in pain,” eating “normally,” and even “in a good mood.”