4 months ago
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(NewsNation) — Pope Francis had a “peaceful night” Saturday aft receiving blood transfusions and precocious levels of oxygen to dainty his treble pneumonia, the Vatican said Sunday, but remains successful "critical condition."
Francis took to societal media to explicit his gratitude to supporters, writing, “I've precocious received galore messages of affection, and I've been peculiarly struck by the letters and drawings from children. Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I person received from each implicit the world.”
The pontiff, who entered the papacy astatine property 76 successful 2013, is being treated astatine Gemelli Hospital successful Italy wherever helium was initially admitted for bronchitis connected Feb.14.
He has missed Sunday Mass successful back-to-back weeks aft suffering a severe and prolonged respiratory situation requiring oxygen.
Though not connected a ventilator, Francis is struggling to respire and is keeping his question limited, according to officials. Still, helium remains alert, sitting upright, moving and joking, though a spot much fatigued than the time before.
The pope besides received humor transfusions aft tests revealed thrombocytopenia, a information of abnormally debased levels of platelets successful the blood.
Doctors said their biggest interest present is the hazard of germs that could participate his bloodstream and origin sepsis, a life-threatening infection.
His aesculapian squad says he's expected to instrumentality to the Vatican, which whitethorn beryllium unsurprising, arsenic helium has said antecedently that the presumption of pope is simply a lifelong commitment.
Despite his illness, Francis mentioned the warfare successful Ukraine, saying "Tomorrow (Feb. 23) volition beryllium the 3rd day of the large-scale warfare against Ukraine. A pain. And shameful juncture for the full of humanity,” going connected to telephone for the “gift of bid successful each equipped conflicts astir the world.”
Doctors said helium volition enactment hospitalized astatine slightest done adjacent weekend.
A wide for the pope successful his autochthonal metropolis of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is expected astatine 9:15 a.m. Sunday.
