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Pope Francis Stable But Prognosis Guarded During Third Week of Hospitalization

The 88-year-old pontiff continues treatment for double pneumonia, resuming limited work and participating in Lent observances from his hospital suite.

Mexican painter Roberto Marquez places a painting of Pope Francis he made outside the Agostino Gemelli hospital in Rome, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Parishioners read and recite a special prayer for Pope Francis at Holy Trinity Church in Webster, New York, on March 5, 2025.
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Girls, with ashes on their foreheads, pray during a rosary prayer for Pope Francis' health in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Overview

  • Pope Francis, hospitalized since February 14 for double pneumonia, remains in stable condition but under guarded prognosis due to his complex health history.
  • The Vatican reported no new respiratory crises since Monday, though the pope continues to alternate between mechanical ventilation at night and high-flow oxygen during the day.
  • On Ash Wednesday, the pope participated in Lent observances from his hospital suite, receiving ashes and making a call to a Gaza parish priest amidst ongoing global prayers for his recovery.
  • Doctors are cautiously optimistic but note the pope's ongoing challenges, including past lung surgery and susceptibility to respiratory infections.
  • Cardinal Angelo De Donatis led the Ash Wednesday service in Rome on Francis's behalf, delivering a homily prepared by the pope reflecting on human fragility and hope in resurrection.