The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday reiterated the call to Filipino faithful to continue in their prayers for Pope Francis, following reports from the Vatican that his health is deteriorating.
Let’s continue to pray for Pope Francis,” the CBCP said in a statement. The organization renewed this appeal following the Vatican’s latest report that the pontiff suffered a respiratory attack and remained in “critical” condition.
On Sunday, February 23 (Manila time), the Vatican announced that Pope Francis’ health remains in a critical state after experiencing a respiratory attack that required high-flow oxygen and blood transfusions.
“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday (Saturday), the pope is not out of danger,” the Vatican said.
The Vatican said that daily blood tests “showed thrombocytopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions.”
Thrombocytopenia is defined as a condition that occurs when the platelet count in one’s blood is too low
The Holy Father remains vigilant and spent the day seated in an armchair, despite experiencing greater discomfort than the previous day. Currently, the prognosis is uncertain, according to the Vatican.
Following several days of respiratory difficulties, the pope was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on February 14, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia affecting both lungs.
Last Saturday, the Manila Archdiocese held a prayer dedicated to Pope Francis.