By Gerard O’Connell
Pope Francis appears to be progressing in his recovery from pneumonia in both lungs according to the latest medical report from the Gemelli Hospital, which the Vatican released at 7:30 p.m. this evening.
“His clinical condition is slightly improving. He does not have a fever,” the report said. It also noted that his key heart parameters “continue to be stable.”
“This is a good sign. His recovery seems to be progressing well. It seems the therapy is working,” Dr. Anna Lisa Bilotta, who works in the Salvator Mundi International Hospital and is not treating the pope, told America after reading the medical report.
An informed source who did not wish to be identified said “his heart is holding up well. He is breathing autonomously, and is not on oxygen.”
The Vatican’s communique also reported that Pope Francis “received the Eucharist this morning and afterward dedicated himself to work activities.”
In a note to journalists at 8:30 this Thursday morning, the Holy See Press office said, “Pope Francis has had a restful night and this morning, got out of bed and had breakfast in an armchair.”
This afternoon, the French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseilles, 66, told a Vatican press conference, “I am not a doctor, but the most recent information is encouraging.” But, he said, “the pope is also a tired man at this moment; it’s part of life. He is one of those people who if you really want him to rest, you have to hospitalize him, otherwise he will never rest.”
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“He is also a fighter and does not give up,” the cardinal added.
In a radio interview on Thursday, Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the former head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, described the pope’s condition as “complex but not critical.” He recalled how Francis has been able to overcome his physical difficulties with determination, most notably during the 12-day journey to Asia and Oceania last September.
Asked whether Francis might resign, the Italian cardinal did not rule this out “in the event that [Francis] did not have the possibility of direct, incisive and decisive contact with people—as he loves to have.” In such a situation, he said, “I think he could decide to resign.” At the same time, he said he does not see this to be the case today. He said that the question of resignation is more of an issue on social media and in the press. He noted, for example, that there has been strong opposition to Francis’ pontificate, especially in the “infosphere” in the United States.
Asked about Cardinal Ravasi’s comment regarding the possibility of Francis’ resignation, Cardinal Aveline said, “Everything is possible, but I know nothing about it.”
Referring to the proliferation of misinformation about the pope’s condition, the French cardinal said, “For me, what is important right now is to be close to the pope with prayer.” He added: “I do not like to speak about the health of the pope. It’s important to be discreet, not to run after rumors and fake news.”
Cardinal Juan José Omella, the 78-year-old archbishop of Barcelona who was on the panel at the press conference, also commented on the question of resignation. He said: “I am not a prophet. Resignation is envisaged in canon law. But I, too, know nothing about it [regarding Francis].”
“The pope changes, the bishops change, the parish priests change, so, too, do the faithful, but the people of God is moving forward,” Cardinal Omella said. “The pope has indicated the way; he has marked out the synodal path for us, the reform of the institutions and a people in movement, following the Second Vatican Council.”
The Spanish cardinal concluded: “We all live with hopes and dreams. And my dream is that after attending meetings in Bari and Marseilles [regarding peace and migration in countries around the Mediterranean and the church’s role here], Pope Francis would also come to Barcelona in 2026. That is my dream. I hope he comes, but the decision is his.”
Earlier in the day, the Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera reported comments that Prime Minister Georgia Meloni was said to have shared from her 20-minute face-to-face conversation with Pope Francis at the Gemelli Hospital on the afternoon of Feb. 19.
Francis reportedly told her: “I know that outside some are saying my hour has come. They push forward!” He is said to have added, “Some in fact have prayed that the pope goes to paradise, but the Lord of the Harvest has thought of leaving me here some time more.”
He reportedly added, “The doctors said I must take care of my health, otherwise I will go straight to paradise.”
Francis is known to be an “impatient patient” and, according to the Italian daily, he told Ms. Meloni, “The doctors said I must stay here a while to rest. I must not receive many people. But I cannot do much work here.” He also regretted that he is unable “to live the jubilee” events as he would have liked in this period, meeting the different groups, such as the artists last week and the deacons next Sunday, that have made pilgrimages to Rome, and giving public audiences on Wednesday and Saturdays.
The Italian prime minister, who is known to have a close and warm relationship with Francis and has visited him in Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house where he lives, on occasions that have not been made public, said she told the pope, “I come in the name of the Italian people to tell you that we are close to you, and we wish you a rapid recovery.”
In a press statement after their meeting, she said, “I was very happy to find him alert and responsive. We joked as we do always. He has not lost his proverbial sense of humor.”
As far as we know at the time of writing, apart from his two private secretaries, Ms. Meloni is the only other person to have visited Pope Francis during this period of “complete rest” that the doctors prescribed to facilitate his recovery from double pneumonia.
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