Pope Francis’ health ‘stationary’ as he meets with collaborators, Italian PM

VATICAN CITY (RNS) – Pope Francis’ bloodwork shows “slight improvement” after six days of antibiotic treatment for pneumonia in both lungs at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, according to a Vatican statement on Wednesday (Feb. 19).

Earlier in the day, the Vatican spokesperson told journalists that the pope was occasionally standing from his hospital bed and continued his work and reading. “After having breakfast, he read some newspapers and then dedicated himself to work activities with his closest collaborators,” the statement said, adding that the pope received the Eucharist before lunch.

In the afternoon, Francis also held a 20-minute meeting in the hospital with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said that she found the pope “alert and active” and that he maintained his “proverbial sense of humor,” according to a statement by the Italian government.

“The Holy Father’s clinical conditions appear stationary,” the Vatican stated. “Blood tests, evaluated by the medical staff, demonstrate a slight improvement, in particular in the inflammatory indices.”

Francis has been susceptible to bronchitis after undergoing surgery to remove a portion of his right lung when he was a youth in Argentina. In spring 2023, he was hospitalized at the Gemelli hospital for pneumonia and referred to the illness as “a close call.”

The pope has canceled his engagements for the coming week as doctors presented a “complex” clinical situation that would likely require a longer stay at the hospital. Before being admitted to the hospital, the pope had a packed schedule as he celebrates the 2025 Jubilee year, a Catholic anniversary celebration when millions of pilgrims are expected to travel to Rome to catch a glimpse of the pontiff and ask forgiveness for their sins.