A woman joins Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, in reciting the rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 8, 2025. Cardinals living in Rome, leaders of the Roman Curia and the faithful joined the nighttime prayer. (CNS/Pablo Esparza)
Pope Francis is no longer in imminent danger from double pneumonia his doctors announced for the first time on March 10.
"The improvements recorded in the previous days have further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and by the good response to pharmacological therapy," said a Vatican statement released at 7:50 p.m. local time on Monday evening. "For these reasons, the doctors have decided today to lift the prognosis."
A Vatican source said that the pope's underlying condition no longer presents an "imminent danger" to the 88-year-old pontiff, but that his underlying chronic conditions still reflect a complex medical picture.
For more than a week now, the Vatican's daily updates have trended in an incrementally positive direction. The pontiff's last known setback was on March 3, when Francis suffered two episodes of respiratory failure. Since then, however, his condition has consistently been described as "stable."
"Given the complexity of the clinical picture and the significant infectious picture presented upon admission, it will be necessary to continue the pharmacological medical therapy in a hospital setting for additional days," the Vatican medical bulletin continued.
Tonight's announcement comes after the pope was first admitted into hospital on Feb. 14 for respiratory difficulties 25 days ago.
For the last week, the pope has alternated between receiving mechanical ventilation throughout the night and high-flow oxygen therapy via nasal cannulas during the day. A Vatican source said this continues to be the treatment regimen.
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Over the weekend, the pope met with his two top deputies: Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, and Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, who serves at the sostituto (effectively, the chief of staff). Their March 9 meeting was their third in-hospital meeting with the ailing pontiff.
During the day on Monday (March 10), the pope participated remotely in the Lenten spiritual exercises currently taking place for the Roman Curia. The Vatican statement said the pope watched via video link while seated in an armchair in his hospital suite on the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli Hospital.
While the Lenten exercises are taking place this week, the nightly rosary prayer vigil for the recovery of the pope has been moved to take place directly following the retreat. Irish American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, led the March 10 rosary.
The Vatican also announced that the pope has been made aware of the flash flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 16 people in his native homeland of Argentina and that the pontiff is praying for all affected by the disaster.
The National Catholic Reporter's Rome Bureau is made possible in part by the generosity of Joan and Bob McGrath.
