Balloons are attached at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital, where Pope Francis is hospitalized with pneumonia, in Rome, Italy, on Sunday. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
Pope Francis sent a message from his hospital bed as the Vatican said in a health update Sunday that he remains in “critical” condition but “has not presented any further respiratory crises.”
The big picture: The Vatican said in its Sunday statement that the 88-year-old Catholic church leader is being treated for a kidney problem in addition to his respiratory issues, but it is “currently under control.”
- The pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Hospital with bronchitis and tests revealed “a complex clinical picture” that saw him diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.
- He remains “alert and well-oriented,” according to the Vatican.
What he’s saying: Pope Francis in a statement on Sunday thanked medical professionals for taking care of him and expressed gratitude for the warm wishes he’d received.
- “In recent days I have received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children,” the pope said.
- “Thank you for this closeness, and for the prayers of comfort I have received from all over the world! I entrust you all to the intercession of Mary, and I ask you to pray for me.”
Zoom in: The pope noted that Monday “will be the third anniversary of the large-scale war against Ukraine: a painful and shameful occasion for the whole of humanity!”
- He added: “As I reiterate my closeness to the suffering Ukrainian people, I invite you to remember the victims of all armed conflicts, and to pray for the gift of peace in Palestine, Israel and throughout the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu and Sudan.”
Flashback: Pope Francis compares Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Stalin-era famine
