The faithful will light candles for Pope Francis at the Pyramide De Mayo monument during the torchlight march to support the health of Pope Francis, held on March 7, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tobias Skarlovnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Pope Francis has shown a “good response” to his treatment in a hospital for dual pneumonia, and his overall condition is gradually improving, the Vatican said on Saturday.
Francis, 88, has been staying at Gemeri Hospital in Rome for more than three weeks due to a severe respiratory infection that requires continuous evolving treatment.
“The recent clinical status of the Holy Father remains stable and as a result, he has responded well to treatment,” the latest detailed medical update states.
The Pope said he has not continued to develop a fever. His blood tests are stable.
The doctor said he saw “gradual and slight improvements” in the Pope's overall condition, but maintained a protected prognosis “as these initial improvements continue in the coming days.”
The Pope continues to receive oxygen to help him breathe, Vatican news outlets said. During the day he uses a small oxygen hose under his nose. At night he has used non-invasive mechanical ventilation when he sleeps.
Francis has experienced several illness health over the past two years, and is prone to pulmonary infections as a young adult, as he has inflamed the pleura and removed part of one lung.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflam and scar both lungs, making breathing difficult.
Francis has not been seen publicly since entering the hospital. His longest absence has been his Pope since it began nearly 12 years ago.
The Pope's doctor hasn't said how long the treatment will last. He will miss out on his weekly prayers with pilgrims on Sunday for four consecutive weeks, the Vatican said.
A doctor not involved in Francis' care says the Pope is likely to face a long, difficult path to recovery, given his age and other long-standing medical conditions.
Often the wife leaves candles and flowers for the Pope
The tone of the update from the Vatican was carefully brightened nearby after suffering what was called two episodes of “acute respiratory failure” on March 3rd.
The group met outside Gemeri Hospital on Saturday to pray for Francis. They placed candles, prayer beads and other items at the base of the statue of the late Pope John Paul II, which was handled multiple times in the Pope See between 1978 and 2005.
Photos of Pope Francis can be seen at the Pyramide de Mayo monument during the march of Pope Francis' health support torchlights held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 7, 2025.
Tobias Skarlovnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Maria Neve, from Naples, Italy, left behind a small bouquet of yellow flowers. “He's an incredible person who gives that much to others and we have to give back to him,” she said.
Francis, known to work for himself and exhausted, continues to work from the hospital. On Saturday, the Vatican announced the appointments of four bishops who needed his approval.
On Saturday, Francis also sent a message to an Italian anti-abortion group that was making a pilgrimage to the Vatican.
This message was signed by Francis, reading aloud to a group of Cardinal Peter Parolin at St. Peter's Cathedral, saying it had been sent “from the Gemeri Hospital.”
