Vatican gives important update on the Pope's health after being left in critical condition following 'respiratory crisis'

The Vatican has issued a health update following Pope Francis' admission into hospital for double pneumonia and chronic bronchitis treatment on February 14.

Pope Francis, 88, has been receiving treatment for his diagnosis' at Rome's Gemelli Hospital for more than a week after being admitted due to difficulty breathing.

On Saturday evening (22 February), the Vatican had previously shared a statement which said that his condition 'continues to be critical' as the religious leader 'presented with a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis', requiring high-flow oxygen (via Sky News).

"The Holy Father's condition remains critical." it continued. "The Pope is not out of danger."

The Pope has been in hospital for over a week for pneumonia (Getty Stock Photo)

He was also required to receive blood transfusions after tests revealed thrombocytopenia, which occurs when a person's platelet count is low and is associated with anaemia, the publication further reported.

The Vatican's statement concluded that the Pope 'continues to be vigilant and spent the day in an armchair even though he was suffering more than yesterday' as 'the prognosis is reserved'.

And now, the Vatican spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, issued a further update on Sunday (February 23) morning, saying: "The night was tranquil, the Pope rested."

No other information was provided, The Independent reports.

According to the BBC, the Pope has requested openness regarding his health, with the Vatican releasing regular statements, which in the past has included his daily activities, such as eating breakfast.

One such statement from Friday read: "The night went well, and this morning Pope Francis got up and had breakfast."

The Vatican said Pope Francis was rested (FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

While sources close to the Pope appear to doubt his recovery, the Vatican insisted on Wednesday (February 19) that he was on the mend, adding (via the BBC): "The blood tests, evaluated by the medical staff, show a slight improvement, particularly in inflammatory indices."

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni also paid the Pope a visit, stressing that during a visit, the Catholic Church leader was in good enough health to crack jokes.

"Very happy to have found him alert and responsive. We joked as always. He hasn't lost his proverbial sense of humour," she explained.

This isn't the first time Pope Francis has had respiratory issues as he was previously hospitalized with acute bronchitis in March 2023.

However, two of his doctors have said his age made him highly vulnerable, as senior doctor Dr. Sergio Alfieri said (via Reuters) that there was a potential risk of the infection spreading 'to his bloodstream and develop into sepsis', which he added 'could be very difficult to overcome'.