Pope Francis remained in stable condition and did not need any mechanical ventilation, the Vatican says.
It was a sign he had overcome the possible complications from a respiratory crisis on Friday and that his breathing function overall was improving as he recovers from pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pope did continue to receive high flow supplemental oxygen after Friday’s coughing episode, which sparked fears of a new lung infection.
Doctors in their late Sunday update said Francis remained stable but again referred to the complexity of his overall condition and kept his prognosis at guarded, meaning he was not out of danger.
Francis, who has been in the hospital since February 14, rested, prayed in his private chapel and took part in mass after a morning visit from the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and his chief of staff, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra.
He again skipped his weekly noon blessing to avoid even a brief public appearance from the hospital.
Instead, the Vatican distributed a message written by the Pope from Gemelli Hospital in which he thanked his doctors for their care and well-wishers for their prayers, and prayed again for peace in Ukraine and elsewhere.
“From here, war appears even more absurd,” Francis said in the message, which he drafted in recent days.
Francis said he was living his hospitalisation as an experience of profound solidarity with people who are sick and suffering everywhere.
“I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord,” Francis said in the text.
“At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people.”
Many signs indicated he was improving, especially after a respiratory crisis on Friday afternoon that resulted in him inhaling vomit during a coughing fit and raising the possibility of new infection.
Doctors aspirated the vomit and put him on non-invasive mechanical ventilation, a mask that pumps oxygen into the lungs.
He used the ventilation on Saturday, alternating it with just supplemental oxygen, and by Sunday no longer needed it.
Doctors also reported he had no fever or raised white blood cell levels, which would have indicated his body was fighting a new infection.
The doctors had said they needed 24 to 48 hours after Friday's coughing episode to determine if there were any negative impacts on Francis' overall condition.
The passage of time and positive reports on Sunday suggested he had overcome the episode successfully.
The Pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to Gemelli on February 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into a complex pneumonia in both lungs.
Francis’ hospitalisation has come as the Vatican is marking its Holy Year, drawing pilgrims to Rome from all over.
Many have added a pilgrimage destination to their itineraries so they can pray for Francis at Gemelli Hospital, which is a 20-minute drive from the Vatican.
with AP
