Pope Francis is in a “critical condition”, a day after he suffered a prolonged respiratory attack and required blood transfusions, according to the Vatican.
The Holy See however said yesterday morning that the 88-year old Pontiff spent a quiet night in the hospital.
“The night passed peacefully, the pope rested,” the Holy See said in a short update.
As this developed, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reiterated its call to Filipino Catholics to continue praying 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 on Sunday.
Roman Catholics account for nearly 79 percent of Filipinos, or almost 86 million individuals as of a 2020 census.
The Argentine pontiff, head of the Catholic Church since 2013, was initially admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital with bronchitis, but it developed into double pneumonia.
“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained (Friday), the pope is not out of danger,” the Vatican said in a regular medical bulletin on Saturday evening.
“At the moment the prognosis is reserved,” it said further.
Francis continued to be alert and “spent the day in an armchair even if he was suffering more than” the day before, the Vatican said.
It said he had on Saturday morning suffered a “prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis, which also required the application of high-flow oxygen.”
Daily blood tests also “showed thrombocytopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions,” it added.
Thrombocytopenia is a condition that occurs when the platelet count in someone’s blood is too low, which can cause trouble stopping bleeding—and can be life-threatening.
Meanwhile, priests and nuns from various countries gathered outside the hospital entrance to pray for their leader.
They also sang as they stood around the statue of former pope John Paul II, where well-wishers have left candles bearing Francis’s picture.
“We are praying today for the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and our hope is that he will recover well in the Grace of God,” Brazilian priest Don Wellison told Agence France Presse (AFP). With Vito Barcelo
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Pope Francis, in critical condition, had quiet night—Vatican”