Pope Francis in ‘stable’ condition spent a ‘quiet’ night in the hospital

(AFP) Pope Francis, whose health condition is "stable" after suffering a respiratory crisis on Friday, had a "peaceful" night in the hospital, the Vatican said Sunday, 17 days into his extended stay at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

"The night was calm. The pope is still resting," the Holy See said in a brief statement.

Since his hospitalization on Feb. 14 for bronchitis, which led to pneumonia, the 88-year-old Argentine Jesuit has not made any public appearances and will not lead the Angelus this Sunday for the third consecutive week.

His state of health is "stable," according to the latest medical report released Saturday night.

On Friday, alarms were raised again, when the religious leader of 1.4 billion Catholics in the world suffered a respiratory crisis of "bronchospasm," which worsened his health condition, after days of improvement.

Doctors took Saturday and Sunday to evaluate the impact of this new relapse on his health.

The first Latin American pope has since registered no new crises and maintains his treatment based on alternating "non-invasive mechanical ventilation with long periods of oxygen therapy," along with "respiratory physiotherapy," the Saturday report indicated.

This hospitalization, the fourth and longest since 2021, raises concerns about previous problems that weakened Jorge Bergoglio's health in recent years: operations on his colon and abdomen, and difficulty walking.

The situation has also reopened questions about his ability to perform his duties, especially since canon law makes no provision in case of a serious problem that could affect his lucidity.