Pope back on ventilation after two respiratory crises

‘I feel in my heart the blessing that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord.’

Pope Francis suffered two episodes of “acute respiratory deficiency” on Monday and was put back on ventilation.

The evening bulletin from the Holy See Press Office said doctors performed a bronchoscopy “to remove large secretions” from the lungs in response to each episode, which were caused by “a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm”.

In the afternoon the Pope was put on ventilation, which had been stopped the previous day as he responded to treatment following a medical setback on Friday. The Vatican reported that evening that a bronchial spasm “resulted in an episode of vomiting with inhalation and the sudden worsening of the respiratory picture” after a week of apparent improvement.

On Saturday, the bulletin said he was alternating “between non-invasive mechanical ventilation and long periods of high-flow oxygenation” while undergoing respiratory physiotherapy. The next day, he “did not need” ventilation but continued oxygen therapy. The Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the sostituto Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra visited him in hospital.

In his Angelus message published at noon on Sunday, Francis thanked the medical staff treating him at the Gemelli Hospital “for the attention with which they are taking care of me”. 

“I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord,” he said.

He added that he thanked God “for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people”, and renewed his prayer for peace around the world, observing: “From here, war seems even more absurd”.

“I would like to thank you for the prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world: I feel all your affection and closeness and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am ‘carried’ and supported by all God’s people,” he said.

Prayers for the Pope’s health have continued throughout the world since the Pope’s hospitalisation with bronchitis on 14 February and subsequent diagnosis with double pneumonia.

On 28 February, the Archbishop of Kinshasa Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besugu said Francis “guided the Church like a true shepherd, reminding us that the heart of the Gospel lies in closeness to the poor, the sick and the suffering”.

“Even in his own weakness, he has never ceased to call us to solidarity with the most vulnerable,” he told Church leaders at the start of an hour-long prayer session at the Pan African Theology and Pastoral Network, (PACTPAN). “And today, as he undergoes this physical ordeal, we return that love through our prayers, bringing him before the Lord, who has so often supported and encouraged us.”

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In an earlier statement on 19 February in his capacity as president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Cardinal Ambongo said the Church in Africa followed the Pope’s hospitalisation “with profound attention and fervent prayer”.

Reaffirming “the solidarity and spiritual closeness” of SECAM members with Pope Francis, he said all were praying for his “swift and complete recovery”.

In South Sudan, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio prayed for St Josephine Bakhita’s intercession for the Pope. His pastoral message on 24 February said Francis “carries the burdens of the Church and shepherds us with wisdom and love” even in his illness.

“With deep concern and profound love for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, I write to you today urging all the faithful of our beloved diocese to unite in fervent prayer for his swift and complete recovery,” he wrote.

“Let us also seek the intercession of St Josephine Bakhita. May her example of perseverance and faith inspire us to remain steadfast in our spiritual support.”

Kenya’s Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri held a Novena of Rosaries for the Pope’s recovery, describing prayers for him as “a filial duty of every Catholic”.

“May the Lord send His angels to guard our Holy Father and grant him peace even in his illness. May Our Blessed Mother obtain for him the grace of recovery,” Archbishop Muheria said.

The cardinals resident in Rome continued to gather in St Peter’s Square each evening to lead the Rosary for the Pope’s recovery, while groups gathered throughout the day to pray outside the Gemelli Hospital.

Other religious groups also offered their prayers for Pope Francis. The monks of a Buddhist temple in Colombo, which Pope Francis visited in 2015, held a special “Puja” ritual for the Pope last week. They bowed before an image of the Buddha to ask for blessings and offered flowers, food and water, with a picture of Pope Francis on display in front of them.

Fr Jude Krishantha Fernando, head of the communications office for the Sri Lankan bishops’ conference, was present and said he was “very touched by this spontaneous gesture of our Buddhist friends”.

In Cambodia, the Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Phnom Penh hosted an interfaith prayer meeting for the Pope on 24 February.

The US Hindu leader Rajan Zed organised a candlelit vigil for the Pope in Reno, Nevada on 2 March, with prayers from Christian denominations, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha’i, Native American and Pagan traditions, spoken in English, Spanish, Arabic, Sanskrit, Pali, Hebrew and Paiute languages.

Participants lit candles on a columnar traditional Hindu temple lamp and prayed “that [Pope Francis] could continue to inspire millions worldwide and promote a more compassionate and inclusive society”.

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