The Vatican reported today that Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics, experienced a respiratory crisis again and responded well to the intervention. It was stated that it would take 24 to 48 hours to evaluate whether the crisis worsened his condition.

Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics receiving treatment at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, experienced another crisis today. A written statement was made regarding the health condition of the 88-year-old Pope, who has been hospitalized at Gemelli Hospital in Rome for 15 days due to severe bronchitis he had earlier this month and diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. The statement used phrases like, “Pope experienced a bronchospasm crisis. This situation led to a sudden deterioration in respiratory condition alongside vomiting and aspiration.” It was noted that bronchoaspiration was done for the Pope and mechanical ventilation was started to ensure the gas exchange, the main function of the respiratory system (adequate intake of oxygen and sufficient elimination of produced carbon dioxide), and as a result, a positive response was obtained regarding gas exchange. It was recorded that the Pope, who is conscious, is sensitive to external factors and responds well to medical interventions. The Vatican’s statement used the expression, “For these reasons, the course of the illness is still uncertain.”

“24 TO 48 HOURS REQUIRED FOR CLARIFICATION OF CONDITION” In a report based on Vatican sources by the Italian Rainews24 channel, it was indicated that 24 to 48 hours are needed to evaluate whether today’s crisis worsened the Pope’s condition, and it was also mentioned that the Pope was not intubated. Meanwhile, the Vatican announced that the liturgy scheduled for March 5, celebrated in the worldwide Catholic community as “Ash Wednesday” and the day they start a great fast before Easter, will not be officiated by the Pope. SINCE FEBRUARY 14 IN HOSPITAL Pope Francis, who publicly mentioned his struggles with bronchitis and difficulty breathing in two public events on February 9 and February 12 when he couldn’t speak and asked his aides to read the prepared speeches, was taken to Gemelli Hospital on February 14. It was reported that the Pope had a polymicrobial infection in the respiratory tract. On February 18, the Vatican announced that Pope developed bilateral pneumonia and his clinical condition presented a complex picture. Pope’s doctors mentioned in their statements on February 21 that although Pope Francis has not entirely overcome the danger, he did not have a life-threatening condition. On February 22, it was stated that the Pope’s condition was critical due to an asthma crisis. The Vatican’s statement on February 23 reported that the Pope did not experience another respiratory crisis, but an initial stage of mild renal insufficiency was observed, and he received high-flow oxygen supplementation through the nose. On February 24, despite the critical nature of Pope Francis’ health condition, a slight improvement was observed, as reported by the Vatican, and on February 25, the situation was defined as “critical but stable.” The Vatican reported an improvement in Pope’s condition on February 26 and 27. HEALTH PROBLEMS HAVE INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS Since 2013, Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics, was hospitalized for the first time in 2021 at Gemelli Hospital and underwent colon surgery. Pope, who has been using a wheelchair in recent years due to knee pain, was hospitalized twice at Gemelli Hospital in 2023, once for shortness of breath and the other for the placement of a prosthesis on the abdominal wall.