Vatican reports ‘slight improvement’ but Pope’s condition remains critical

On Monday, the Vatican announced that cardinals resident in Rome would lead the Rosary for the Pope in St Peter’s Square each evening at 9pm.

The Vatican reported a “slight improvement” in the Pope’s condition on Monday evening, though it continued to describe his situation as “critical”.

A statement from the Holy See Press Office said Pope Francis had not experienced a repeat of the respiratory crisis he suffered on Saturday morning, which required that he receive a high flow of supplementary oxygen and caused widespread alarm after he seemed to be gradually recovering over the previous week.

Monday’s statement said that “some laboratory tests have improved” and the mild kidney problem reported on Sunday “shows no cause for concern”. He continued to receive oxygen therapy “with the flow and percentage of oxygen slightly reduced”.

The Pope resumed his work in the afternoon and in the evening called the parish priest in Gaza Fr Gabriel Romanelli IVE, “to express his paternal closeness”, the Vatican said, as he did in the first days after his admission to the Gemelli Hospital on 14 February.

“Pope Francis thanks all the people of God who have gathered in these days to pray for his health,” the statement said.

On Monday, the Vatican announced that cardinals resident in Rome would lead the Rosary for the Pope in St Peter’s Square each evening at 9pm. The Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin led the first prayer.

In Buenos Aires, where the Pope was born in 1936 and later served for 20 years as bishop and archbishop, a message saying “Francis, the city is praying for you” was projected onto a historic monument in the city centre.

Images of the Pope also flashed up after the message on the Obelisk, a 67-metre-high icon of the Argentinean capital built in 1936.

In Spain, the Archbishop of Madrid Cardinal José Cobo urged the faithful to pray for the Holy Father “as he has often reminded us to do” on Sunday in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Almudena.

Before a liturgy where two permanent two deacons were ordained for the archdiocese, Cobo added: “May this Eucharist be a prayer to ask the Lord Jesus to sustain and accompany Pope Francis in his mission so that, in this time of fragility, he may fortify the Church in unity and prayer around the seat of Peter.”

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Filipinos held community prayers for the healing of Pope Francis, known in the Philippines as “Lolo Kiko” (Grandpa Kiko). Even the country’s civilian leadership, led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, joined Church leaders to pray for the pontiff.

“It is sad to hear of the serious illness of Pope Francis. At this time, we join the entire world in praying for his strength and recovery,” said Marcos in a statement on 24 February. “May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen him to continue his mission of faith and love for humanity.”

Different dioceses organised their own Masses and prayer vigils for Francis. In the capital, Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula of Manila led a Holy Hour for the Pope on 21 February at the city’s cathedral, which Francis visited in January 2015 during his five-day visit to the country.

“My brothers and sisters, in faith, let us appeal to God for our brothers and sisters who are sick and suffering, especially our dear Pope Francis. We ask the Lord to strengthen them, to free them from all harm, and to relieve their sufferings,” Advincula said.

In the Archdiocese of Cebu, which is considered the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines 500 years ago, Archbishop Jose Palma led an overnight vigil for the Pope at San Carlos Seminary College, from 10pm on 20 February until 6am the next day.

Pope Francis has developed an affinity with Filipinos, seven million of whom attended the final Mass of his visit at Luneta, the largest-ever crowd at a papal event. He in turn has expressed fondness for Filipinos, calling them “smugglers of the faith” because migrant workers from the population bring their Catholic devotions to different parts of the globe.

At a Mass in New York’s St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said Catholics found themselves “at the bedside of a dying father, as our Holy Father Pope Francis is in very, very fragile health, and probably close to death”. He later told reporters he was praying for the Pope’s recovery.

In Mexico, the Archbishop of Guadalajara Cardinal José Robles, called for the faithful to “keep praying for the Lord to restore the Pope to health.” He added: “He is not dying. The Pope remains the Pope. He is alive and the head of the Church.”

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View from Rome

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