Sick pontifex: Pope doctors: Francis not yet out of danger

According to his doctors, Pope Francis is not yet at risk after a week of inpatient treatment in the hospital. The entire clinical picture of the 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church is still complex, said the treating doctor Sergio Alfieri at a press conference in the Gemelli Clinic in Rome. However, Alfieri also emphasized that Francis’ condition was currently not life -threatening.

For the first time since he was released to the hospital, two treating doctors – Alfieri from the Gemelli Clinic and Luigi Carbone, Francis’ Lebarzt – reported on the state of health of the Pope. In view of the current location, they assume that Francis will have to stay in the hospital for at least the entire next week. They did not provide more detailed information, according to their words, possible complications are unpredictable.

Pope suffers from bilateral pneumonia

The two doctors said there were currently no signs that pathogens that Francis had caused pneumonia had reached the bloodstream. This development is referred to as sepsis, i.e. severe blood poisoning. From the point of view of the doctors, this would be one of the most threatening complications. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death.

Francis has been treated in the Gemelli Clinic since Friday last week. A few days ago, the doctors found pneumonia on both sides. Francis has long been healthy. Previously there was also stubborn bronchitis. The concern for the Pontifex is great among believers worldwide.

Francis addresses therapy

In the days before Francis’ admission, he was already to see that health was increasingly being troubled by him. In public dates, he complained of breathing difficulties and coughed, he looked exhausted. He had to have employees prepared for him several times. Only after a long hesitation did he choose the treatment in the hospital.

Carbone said that Francis now appealed to drug therapy, which had been “reinforced” after the diagnosis of pneumonia. To make matters worse, Francis suffers from an infection with various pathogens. Born in Argentine, the native is susceptible to respiratory diseases, especially in winter. At a young age, the upper part of his right lung wing was also removed in his home country.

“Good morning, holy son”

According to the two doctors, Francis receives additional oxygen via so -called nasal glasses if necessary. However, he is now partially mobile and moved in his clinic room. Alfieri reported that he had already gone into the chapel of the tract provided for papal contents on the tenth floor of the clinic to pray.

According to Alfieri’s words, Francis is already joking. On his greeting “Good morning, Holy Father” when entering the room, the Pope replied to him: “Good morning, holy son”. Despite his state of health, the Pope had not lost humor, said Alfieri.

In the days after the diagnosis of pneumonia, positive signals from the Vatican were already cautiously. In the Bulletine on the Pope’s condition, which was spread daily in the evening, there was now talk of a “easy improvement”. Every morning, the spokesman for the Holy Chair informs that Francis had had breakfast and pursue work.

Speculation about Pope resignation

Outside the hospital, given the absence of the Pope in the Vatican, the first speculation about a possible resignation for health reasons. Several cardinals had declared such a step by Francis as possible. They pointed out that the Pope could consider resigning if it remained severely restricted in the long term and would be incapable of acting.

Francis himself rejected such rumors in the past. However, he claimed to put a signed cancellation letter – but only in the event that he would be incapable of acting due to illness. Francis’ German predecessor Benedict XVI. Har surprisingly resigned in 2013 and then lived in the Vatican until death.

Francis second oldest pope in history

At the age of 88, Francis is now the second oldest Pope in history. As the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. He has been in office since March 2013. Only Pope Leo XIII. became even older according to the records of the Vatican: the Italian died in 1903 at the age of 93. Francis’ predecessor, bourgeois Joseph Ratzinger, became 95, but resigned years before his death.