The Vatican announced that the next medical update on Pope Francis will not be issued until Saturday.
On Thursday, Pope Francis spoke publicly for the first time since being hospitalized on February 14, expressing gratitude for the prayers he has received.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your prayers for my health. Though I am not with you in the Square, I am accompanying you from here. May God bless you, and may the Virgin watch over you. Thank you,” the pope said in a pre-recorded message in Spanish. This message was played at the start of the rosary in St. Peter’s Square.
At 88 years old, the pope’s condition remained stable compared to previous days, and he did not experience any respiratory failure on Thursday, which marked his 21st day in the hospital, according to the Vatican’s evening report.
The Vatican’s press office, the Holy See, stated that Pope Francis continued undergoing respiratory and motor physiotherapy, which had been beneficial. His blood tests and hemodynamic parameters remained steady, and he did not develop a fever.
However, doctors were still maintaining a cautious prognosis, the Vatican noted. Given the stable nature of his condition, no further medical updates will be provided until Saturday.
Candles and flowers were placed in front of Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic on Thursday, March 6, 2025, where Pope Francis has been hospitalized since February 14. (Photo credit: Andrew Medichini/AP)
Throughout Thursday, the pope balanced rest with some work-related activities and prayer, and he received the Eucharist before lunch, according to the Vatican.
On Wednesday, he remained in stable condition without experiencing any respiratory distress and had a restful night leading into Thursday.
Earlier in the week, Vatican sources informed ABC News that the pope had suffered two incidents of “acute respiratory failure” on Monday, requiring medical intervention.
Spending his 20th day in the hospital on Wednesday, Pope Francis sat in an armchair, took part in the “ritual blessing of the Holy Ashes” as the celebrant imposed them upon him, and received the Eucharist.
“In the morning, he also made a phone call to Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of the Holy Family in Gaza. In the afternoon, he alternated between resting and working,” the Vatican reported.
Pope Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14, where he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.