The Pope in critical but stable condition, prayers at St. Peter's

Pope Francis' clinical conditions "remain critical, but stable," reports the Medical Bulletin released by the Vatican press.

"No acute respiratory episodes occurred and the hemodynamic parameters continue to be stable," it is explained. The Pontiff, on his twelfth day of hospitalization at the Gemelli Polyclinic, "undertook a scheduled control CT scan for radiological monitoring of bilateral pneumonia," and at the moment " the prognosis remains reserved."

The press office also announced that in the morning Francis, "after receiving the Eucharist, resumed his work activity". Therefore, the outcome of the CT scan is particularly awaited, the results of which are currently being examined by doctors, to understand how the Pope is reacting to the therapy for bilateral pneumonia. And to verify whether the lung infection is still present or not. This is the third CT scan performed by Bergoglio at the Gemelli, after the first upon arrival and the second which revealed bilateral pneumonia.

Compared to yesterday, the slight renal insufficiency remains, but it is not a cause for concern, while oxygen is also being administered at the levels required by necessity . This morning the Vatican press office had announced that the Pope had "rested well, all night" and "without interruptions", thus excluding other respiratory crises. After waking up, "the usual therapy of these days" continued. In the medical bulletins, among other things, there has never been any mention of the administration of sedatives, it is noted. reason to speak of resignation or to hypothesize it, we continue to pray that he improves more and more, until his complete recovery and return to his ministry".

The Pope not only "got up" but received visitors on Tuesday in the suite on the tenth floor of the Gemelli and worked making decisions, also a sign of the will to take care of and dispose of pending commitments . Francis received, for the first time during his current hospitalization, the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the Substitute for General Affairs, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra. And it is during this audience - in which he will surely have discussed other issues - that the Pope approved the promulgation of decrees of the Causes of Saints, including those on the "venerability" of Salvo D'Acquisto for the sacrifice of the "offering of life", and of the American priest Emilio Giuseppe Kapaun, killed in the Korean War. But above all, Francis approved the upcoming sainthood of Bartolo Longo, founder and benefactor of the Shrine of Pompeii, and of the Venezuelan layman Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros, for whose canonization he will convene a Consistory in order to establish the date .

A series of appointments then involved bishops in Canada and Brazil. As well as the two new general secretaries of the Governorate, Msgr. Emilio Nappa and the lay lawyer Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, also through changes to the Fundamental Law of the Vatican City State and that on its Government: the new president Sister Raffaella Petrini was given the power to assign responsibilities and duties to the two appointees. Francis also released his message for Lent, the pre-Easter period that he will not be able to inaugurate on March 5, Ash Wednesday, with the usual procession to the Aventine. "Death has been transformed into victory and here lies the faith and the great hope of Christians: in the resurrection of Christ," he writes in the text, dated February 6, in which he also urges Christians to identify with the suffering of migrants. The invitation is also to "walk together, be synodal, this is the vocation of the Church. Christians are called to walk together, never as solitary travellers". He also made his presence felt with a substantial message sent to the Lima Congress on the prevention of abuse in the Church, calling for responsibility in the use of AI. The prayer of the faithful and the rosary in St. Peter's Square continue, on the second day presided over by the Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect for Evangelization. And on the shadow of a possible resignation, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco intervenes: "there is no reason to talk about resignation or to hypothesize it, we continue to pray that he will improve more and more, until his complete recovery and return to his ministry".

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle , Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will lead the rosary this evening at 9 pm in St. Peter's Square for the health of the Pope .

"It seems to me that there is no reason to talk about resignation or to hypothesize it." This is what Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said to the microphones of Rtl 102.5. Speaking about the prayer chain for the Pope's health, the cardinal added: "If the world has stopped to pray, it is a very great thing: a prayer chain that has been raised to the Lord precisely for the Holy Father Francis in this very delicate moment."

"According to medical reports, the Pope's health conditions are slightly improving. We continue to pray that he will continue to improve, until he is completely healed and returns to his ministry," concludes Bagnasco.

Geriatrician: "The Pope is in serious condition but the situation is not critical, there is no sepsis"

The Pope's clinical situation "certainly remains serious and important but I wouldn't say critical and, at the moment, I don't believe there are signs of an initial sepsis condition". This was stated by the president of the Italian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SIGG), Dario Leosco, commenting on the latest bulletin on Pope Francis's conditions which reports a 'slight improvement'. The Pope, he told ANSA, "is demonstrating that he has a strong temperament and is reacting, and this is positive. But this clinical condition could continue for a long time, given the complex picture, and I agree with the fact that the prognosis remains reserved". "The episodes of respiratory crisis that the Pope has had - explains Leosco - are due to the asthmatic component which causes a restriction of the airways, or bronchoconstriction. Therefore, the worsening seen yesterday is not justified by the lack of control of the respiratory infection, but rather by the condition of the bronchi which is critical and can only be controlled by the administration of cortisone drugs". The fact that the Pontiff "enters and exits these alternating patterns of worsening of the respiratory condition - the geriatrician notes - appears to be more linked to the asthmatic component and therefore may not be linked to the lack of response to antibiotic therapy". As for the anemia, "the infection in itself causes a depression of the activity of the marrow and therefore a reduction in the production of blood cells, as does the fact that he is subjected to massive antibiotic therapy".

In any case, the expert reiterates, "if we go from an unstable situation to a more stable one, as it seems to be happening, I believe that there are no elements that can predict a condition of sepsis at the moment. Sepsis is in fact a serious condition that does not resolve itself in the short term. Therefore it seems to me that the general clinical picture is not to be linked to a septic problem. Oxygen therapy remains necessary to maintain an acceptable condition of respiratory parameters". The risk, however, is that the Pope will persist in this 'fluctuating' but substantially critical clinical picture: "Overcoming the current critical condition - says Leosco - depends on the progress of the lung infection which is expressed by the systemic inflammatory indices, therefore by the blood count, white blood cells and C-reactive protein. The response to antibiotic therapy depends on the progress of these parameters, which are not currently disclosed in the bulletin. These are therefore decisive hours to evaluate the response to antibiotic therapy". In any case, "even in the face of a strong temperament like that of the Pontiff - concludes President Sigg - this critical condition could last a long time".