The Pope “remains in good spirits” despite his hospitalisation for double pneumonia, a statement from the Holy See said on Tuesday evening.
Pope Francis has been in hospital since last Friday, when he was admitted for bronchitis. He has since undergone various scans and is receiving antibiotics.
A statement from the Holy See Press Office said that laboratory tests, chest X-rays and “the clinical condition of the Holy Father continue to present a complex picture”.
This has added to the complexity of the treatment currently being given to the Pope. The Holy See said that the Pope’s “polymicrobial infection, which has arisen in the context of bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis, and has required the use of corticosteroid and antibiotics, makes the therapeutic treatment more complex”.
Another CT scan on Tuesday afternoon confirmed “the onset of bilateral pneumonia, requiring additional pharmacological therapy”.
“Nevertheless, Pope Francis remains in good spirits,” the statement said.
He has “received the Eucharist and, throughout the day, alternated between rest, prayer, and reading”, it continued.
“He expresses his gratitude for the support he feels at this time and kindly asks that prayers for him continue,” the statement concluded.
The Anglican Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has written to Cardinal Vincent Nichols on behalf of the Church of England, expressing his prayers for the health of Pope Francis.
“We are praying for a good and swift recovery, for his comfort and peace, and also for all those who tend to him and minister to him,” said the Archbishop.
In response, Cardinal Nichols said that prayer was a strength to the Pope.
“In these times, when the burden of his office weighs ever more heavily, the Holy Father is strengthened by the prayerful support of so many,” he said.
“Your words, filled with charity and fraternal care, are a testament to the deep bonds that unite us in Christ.”
