ITALY, Vatican – The Vatican has spoken out about Pope Francis’s current state days after he was admitted to the hospital.
Through the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican issued the medical update on Pope Francis on the evening of Saturday, February 22, 2025.
“The condition of the Holy Father continues to be critical. Therefore, as explained yesterday, the Pope is not out of danger,” the statement reads in part.
According to the community, on Saturday morning, Pope Francis experienced an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen.
“Today’s blood tests also revealed thrombocytopenia, associated with anaemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions,” the statement further reads.
According to the Vatican, the Holy Father remains alert and spends the day in an armchair. However, he is more uncomfortable than yesterday, adding that “at the moment, the prognosis remains guarded.”
How the Vatican reacted to claims of Pope’s resignation
Earlier, the Vatican dismissed claims that the Pope was planning to resign as a result of his deteriorating health.
“All of this seems to me to be unfounded speculation. Right now, our focus is on the Holy Father’s health, his recovery, and his return to the Vatican—these are the only things that matter.”
UNITED IN PRAYER FOR POPE FRANCIS 🙏 People gather in prayer at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on February 22, 2025, where Pope Francis remains hospitalized. The Vatican said the 88-year-old pontiff is alert but in critical condition after…
With these words, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, in an interview with Corriere della Sera (an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan), responded to reports in recent days discussing the possibility of Pope Francis’ resignation.
The Holy Father has been hospitalised at the Gemelli Hospital since Friday, February 14, 2025, for a respiratory tract infection.
What Cardinal Pietro Parolin told the ailing Pope Francis
When asked about the atmosphere in light of the spread of false news and speculation surrounding the Vatican, the Cardinal replied:
“Honestly, I am not aware of such manoeuvres, and in any case, I try to stay out of them. On the other hand, I think it is quite normal in these situations for unverified rumours to circulate or for misplaced comments to be made—this is certainly not the first time. However, I do not believe there is any particular movement in this regard, and so far, I have not heard anything of the sort.”
Thank you for the affection, prayer and closeness with which you are accompanying me in these days.
Cardinal Parolin, who recently returned from a visit to the West African nation of Burkina Faso, informed the Pope that he is available to visit him at the hospital if necessary, but so far, “there has been no need.”
“In this regard,” he added, “it is better for him to remain protected and have as few visits as possible so that he can rest, allowing the treatment to be more effective. Thanks be to God, the updates from Gemelli Hospital are encouraging—he is recovering well. Some official documents have even been sent to him, which means he is progressing.”
No pressure on Pope Francis to resign
Meanwhile, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, in an interview with the Argentine newspaper La Nación, stated that:
Statement from the Holy See Press Office
“It makes no sense for some groups to exert pressure for a resignation. They have done so on several occasions in recent years, but this can only ever be a completely free decision of the Holy Father for it to be valid.”
“I do not perceive a pre-conclave atmosphere, nor do I see more discussion about a possible successor than there was a year ago—nothing out of the ordinary,” he adds and concludes, “What matters to me is that the Pope’s body has responded well to the current therapy.”
