Doctors declare Pope Francis no longer in imminent danger because of pneumonia, but remains hospitalized

The doctors said that on Monday Pope Francis is no longer in imminent danger of death because of the pneumonia that kept him in the hospital for almost a month, but decided to keep him hospitalized for several days to receive treatment.

In a late update, the doctors said that the 88 -year -old Pope remains stable and has consolidated improvements in the last few days, as determined by the blood tests and from positive responses to drug treatments.

The Vatican said that the doctors raised their previous prognosis “kept”, which means that they established that it was no longer in imminent danger due to the original respiratory infection with which it arrived on February 14th. But their caution has remained.

“However, in the light of the complexity of the clinical picture and the important image presented at the time of admission, it will be necessary to continue medical drug therapy in a hospital environment for other days”, according to the Vatican Declaration.

In a sign of his improved health, Francis followed the spiritual retreat of the Vatican Week through the videoconference on Monday in the morning and afternoon sessions.

As Sunday did, Francis participated in the withdrawal remotely from the Rome hospital where he is cured. He could see and listen to the Rev. Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the Papal family, but the priests, the bishops and the cardinals gathered for the retreat in the Vatican auditorium could not see or listen to him.

Pasolini is offering a series of meditations this week on “The Hope of Eternal Life”, a theme that was chosen long before Francis was admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome on February 14 with a complex lung infection.

The retreat, an annual meeting that starts the solemn season of Lenten of the Catholic Church that leads to Easter, continues during the week. The Vatican said that Francesco will participate “in spiritual communion” with the rest of the hierarchy, from afar.

Francis also resumed his physical and respiratory therapy at the Gemelli hospital and rested and prayed in the middle.

Francis used a nasal tube for additional oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a non -invasive mechanical ventilation mask at night, therapy that was continuing on Monday.

The 88 -year -old Pope, who has a chronic lung disease and was part of a lung removed as a young man, had what was only a bad case of bronchitis when he was hospitalized last month.

The infection progressed in a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that put Francesco aside for the longest period of his 12 -year -old papacy and raised questions about the future.

Francis was still keeping old things. The Vatican said he was informed of floods in his Argentine native and that he had expressed his closeness to the population concerned. In addition, a Vatican cardinal near Francis spoke on Monday to refute some reports in the negative media that circulated in his absence.

The Vatican Development Office has published a letter written by Cardinal Michael Czernny to one of Francis’ intimate friends, the Argentine social justice activist Juan Grabois. Grabois had traveled to Rome to pray for Francis at the Gemelli hospital, and some Italian media reported last month that they had attempted to enter the 10th floor of the 10th floor of Francis with force, a statement he denied.

In the letter of March 6, Czerny told Grabois that Francis “knew about your presence in Rome and your daily wakefulness of prayer and spiritual solidarity with Polyclinic twins and I am sure that this has given him a true comfort and support”.

“In addition, I know you join me in strong repudiation of the unfounded versions that have circulated in some media on alleged inappropriate behaviors in the hospital,” wrote Czernny.

The Vatican is always in turmoil with the voices, but has gone overdrive with speculations on the health of Francis and on the speeches on the conclave, even if Francis is very alive and responsible. The fact that Czerny deemed it necessary to defend one of Francis’ friends suggested that the voices and maneuvers in the absence of Francis had crossed a line.

Thursday, the Vatican will mark the 12th anniversary of the Francis elections, the first with the Pope outside the sight but is still in command. Francis was elected the 266th Pope, the first Jesuit Pope and the first by Latin America on March 13, 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. [AP]