He jokes anyway

Doctors: Pope Francis not out of danger

Pope Francis has been in hospital for a week with multiple infections.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Filippo MONTEFORTE)

The Pope, who is suffering from pneumonia, is still not out of the woods. And yet, even in difficult times like these, he doesn't let his sense of humor get the better of him.

Francis is suffering from a dangerous lung infection. "If one of these infectious germs were to unfortunately pass into the blood, there would be sepsis. The real risk is if the germs enter the bloodstream. Today there are no such germs in the blood, the infection is only in the lungs," explained the attending physician Sergio Alfieri in his briefing. "Sepsis is the real danger for a person of the Pope's age. However, the infection is contained at the moment," he added.

In any case, his condition has improved since he was admitted to hospital a week ago. Some of the Pope's medication has been reduced slightly. However, the pontiff will have to remain in treatment at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome for the whole of next week, the doctor warned at a press conference.

The attending physician Sergio Alfieri

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Pope strives for transparency
On Friday, the Holy Father got up and went to the chapel in his apartment to pray. Francis was well and in good spirits. "I greeted him and said: 'Good afternoon Holy Father'. And he replied: 'Good afternoon, Holy Son'," reported Alfieri, who had already operated on the Pope twice in 2021 and 2023.

The Pope wants us to always tell the truth

Dr. Sergio Alfieri

The 88-year-old Francis is trying to be transparent about his state of health. He is aware that his condition is serious. "The Pope wants us to always tell the truth," explained Alfieri in reference to the daily press releases published about the Pope's condition. The pontiff is aware that his health situation is serious. "Sometimes he lacks breath, which is not a pleasant feeling," Alfieri explains. However, the Pope does not depend on any respiratory equipment, he says, he feeds himself with appetite. His personal nurse Massimiliano Strappetti is always at his side.

A resignation is apparently ruled out
Whether the Pope will say the Angelus prayer on Sunday from the Gemelli Clinic is still open. "The Holy Father will have to decide that himself," says the doctor.

However, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (91), has ruled out the possibility of Pope Francis resigning due to illness. "The Pope is on the road to recovery, let's not make things up. There should be no talk of resignation, he will return to the Vatican in a few days", he told the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica (Friday).

Some cardinals had declared a papal resignation possible in recent days. In contrast, the President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, had emphasized that according to his information, the Pope was on the way to a full recovery.