Pope Francis suffers new breathing issue, Vatican says
FILE-Pope Francis celebrates New Year's Day during a mass on World Day of Peace in Saint-Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on January 1, 2025. (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)
Pope Francis suffered a new breathing issue on Monday and was put back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation.
Pope Francis' health status
What we know:
The Vatican said Pope Francis suffered two new episodes of acute respiratory crises explaining to the Associated Press that they were caused by a "significant accumulation" of mucus in his lungs and bronchial spasms. "Two bronchoscopies were performed with the need for aspiration of copious secretions."
RELATED: Pope Francis improves slightly, resumes some work, Vatican says
The 88-year-old is still at Rome's Gemelli hospital in stable condition with the Vatican noting that he was up, had breakfast and was receiving therapies after sleeping "well all night long."
What we don't know:
Pope Francis remained alert, oriented, and cooperated with medical officials, but his prognosis remains guarded.
How long has Pope Francis been in the hospital?
The backstory:
Pope Francis was taken to the hospital on Feb. 14 with a complex lung infection, marking the longest absences of his 12-year papacy. The Associated Press noted that the Vatican has not released any photos or videos of Francis since before he entered the hospital.
RELATED: Pope Francis suffers bronchospasm in health setback
The Vatican has provided brief, twice-daily medical updates on his condition, and Francis has begun signing off on documents indicating that he is up and working. According to the AP, the Vatican has defended Pope Francis’ decision to recover in peace and out of the public eye.
The Vatican changes future events
Some future events that Pope Francis was set to attend have either been changed or canceled, signaling that Franics had a long road of recovery ahead.
What's next:
The Vatican has already made alternative plans for Ash Wednesday on March 3. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, a Vatican official and former vicar of Rome, will preside over the March 5 ceremony and procession that inaugurates the church's solemn Lenten season leading up to Easter in April.
A Holy Year audience that was scheduled for Saturday has been canceled and it still remained to be seen if Francis would skip his Sunday noon blessing for the third week in a row.
Beyond that, Francis has a few major events coming up that he presumably would hope to keep if well enough.
On April 27, he is due to canonize Carlo Acutis, considered to be the first millennial and digital-era saint. The Vatican considers the Italian teenager, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, an inspiration for young Catholics.
Another important appointment is the May 24 commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, Christianity’s first ecumenical council. The spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew I, has invited Francis to join him in Iznik, Turkey, to commemorate the anniversary, which he has called an important sign of reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Before he got sick, Francis said he hoped to go, though the Vatican hasn’t confirmed the trip.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by previous LIVENOWfromFOX reporting, and the Associated Press, which received comments from the Vatican on Pope Francis’ current medical condition. FOX Television Stations national reporter Catherine Stoddard contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.