Pope rests in his 10th day of hospitalization but remains in critical condition

ROME — The Vatican announced Monday morning that Pope Francis had a “restful” night in the Italian hospital where he’s been receiving treatment for a complex respiratory infection that includes double pneumonia and bronchitis.

“The night went well; the Pope slept and is resting,” according to a statement that the Holy See Press Office published Monday.

Francis, 88, had remained in critical condition throughout the weekend after severe breathing difficulties were reported Saturday morning. He has continued to receive high-flow oxygen treatment through his nose at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, which he entered almost two weeks ago. The pope’s medical team had said Sunday he had also shown signs of “mild” kidney failure, though the Vatican said that was under control.

The health crisis facing the pontiff, who was elected pope in 2013, has led to his absence from some regular Vatican appearances and drawn groups of Catholic worshippers to St. Peter’s Square to pray for his recovery.

On Saturday evening, teenagers from a Catholic religious group known as the Salesians stood in a circle, murmuring quiet prayers for the pope’s health.

On Sunday, more prayers were held at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Catholic cathedral of Rome, at what Stefano D’Agnese, an attendee, called “a difficult moment.” “We are sincerely deeply concerned for our Holy Father,” said D’Agnese, “so prayer is really the moment of union, isn’t it? It makes us feel together and with hope in the heart that this difficult moment can be resolved.”

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, a senior Vatican official who presided over a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, called on parishioners to make their prayers for Francis “stronger and more fervent.”

Hospitalized in mid-February, the pope continued to work

The pontiff was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 for a case of bronchitis. He had been in stable condition but suffered a polymicrobial infection that forced him to remain in the hospital. Shortly after that, the Vatican announced Francis had developed pneumonia in both lungs, and required further treatment.

On Saturday, the Vatican said Francis had experienced an “asthma-like respiratory crisis” that required supplemental oxygen. The pope was also diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, a condition characterized by a low count of the platelets in blood that help to form clots. He was given blood transfusions to help “bring up his hemoglobin levels,” the latest statement Monday morning said.

Despite his ongoing hospitalization, the pontiff continued some of his work. The Vatican said the pope was alert, sitting upright, participated in Mass and read some of the well-wishes that have flooded in from around the world.

On Sunday, he missed the noon blessing for the second weekend in a row, but two homilies were delivered in his name.

Meanwhile, top church officials dismissed what they called rumors that the pope may resign from his post. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper that any potential changes in leadership were “unfounded speculation” at the moment.

“I think it is quite normal in these situations for unverified rumors to circulate or for misplaced comments to be made — this is certainly not the first time,” Parolin said. “However, I do not believe there is any particular movement in this regard, and so far, I have not heard anything of the sort.”

 

Supreme Court allows Trump to resume mass federal layoffs for now

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was appointed to the court by President Biden, dissented.

Graphics: Where the Texas floods happened and how high the waters rose

One Guadalupe River gauge near Kerrville and Camp Mystic recorded a rise of more than 25 feet in two hours.

Haiti’s iconic Hotel Oloffson, long a cultural beacon, destroyed by gang violence

The Hotel Oloffson in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, long a haven for artists and writers, poets and presidents, a symbol of Haiti's troubled politics and its storied past, has been destroyed by gangs.

New books this week focus on Caitlin Clark, King Tut, and how ‘Democrats Lost America’

Plus: a new novel from Gary Shteyngart, a true story of a shipwreck, and a memoir from a wrongly incarcerated inmate who was exonerated after 28 years behind bars.

Shoes off at the airport? TSA appears to be giving the pesky rule the boot

For nearly twenty years, most air travelers in the U.S. have been required to remove their shoes when going through security. That requirement seems to be ending.

Texas flood recovery efforts face tough conditions as local officials face hard questions

Emergency responders kept hope alive as they combed through fallen trees and other debris that littered the hard-hit central Texas communities on the fifth day after devastating floods killed more than 100.

More Front Page Coverage