Vatican Says Pope Francis Is In Critical Condition | rssama.com

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was successful captious information Saturday aft he suffered a agelong asthmatic respiratory situation that required precocious flows of oxygen, nan Vatican said.

The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week pinch pneumonia and a analyzable lung infection, besides received humor transfusions aft tests showed debased counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, associated pinch anemia, nan Vatican said successful a precocious update.

“The Holy Father continues to beryllium alert and spent nan time successful an armchair though successful much symptom than yesterday. At nan infinitesimal nan prognosis is reserved,” nan connection said.

Doctors person said Francis’ information is touch-and-go and that he is by nary intends retired of danger. The update, which is drafted by Francis’ aesculapian squad but issued by nan Vatican, marked nan first clip nan pope’s prognosis had been described arsenic “reserved,” which suggests it is successful flux and requires adjacent observation.

Doctors person warned that nan main threat facing Francis would beryllium nan onset of sepsis, a superior infection of nan humor that tin hap arsenic a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, location was nary grounds of immoderate sepsis, and Francis was responding to nan various narcotics he is taking, nan pope’s aesculapian squad said successful their first in-depth update connected nan pope’s condition.

Doctors first diagnosed nan complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and past nan onset of pneumonia successful some lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a operation of cortisone and antibiotics, on pinch supplemental oxygen erstwhile he needs it. Saturday’s update marked nan first clip nan Vatican has referred to Francis suffering an “asthmatic respiratory situation of prolonged magnitude, which besides required nan exertion of oxygen astatine precocious flows.”

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, nan caput of medicine and room astatine Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said Friday nan biggest threat facing Francis was that immoderate of nan germs that are presently located successful his respiratory strategy walk into nan bloodstream, causing sepsis. Sepsis tin lead to organ nonaccomplishment and death.

“Sepsis, pinch his respiratory problems and his age, would beryllium really difficult to get retired of,” Alfieri told a news convention Friday astatine Gemelli. “The English opportunity ‘knock connected wood,’ we opportunity ‘touch iron.’ Everyone touch what they want,” he said arsenic he tapped nan microphone. “But this is nan existent consequence successful these cases: that these germs walk to nan bloodstream.”

“He knows he’s successful danger,” Alfieri added. “And he told america to relay that.”

Meanwhile, nan Vatican level went connected nan protect to tamp down rumors and speculation that Francis mightiness determine to resign. There is nary proviso successful canon rule for what to do if a pope becomes incapacitated. Francis has said that he has written a missive of resignation that would beryllium invoked if he were medically incapable of making specified a decision. The pope remains afloat conscious, alert, eating and working.

The Vatican caput of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave a uncommon question and reply to Corriere della Sera to respond to speculation and rumors astir a imaginable resignation. It came aft nan Vatican issued an different and charismatic denial of an Italian media study that said Parolin and nan pope’s main canonist had visited Francis successful nan infirmary successful secret. Given nan canonical requirements to make a resignation legitimate, nan implications of specified a gathering were significant, but nan Vatican flat-out denied that immoderate specified gathering occurred.

Parolin said specified speculation seemed “useless” erstwhile what really mattered was nan wellness of Francis, his betterment and return to nan Vatican.

“On nan different hand, I deliberation it is rather normal that successful these situations uncontrolled rumors tin dispersed aliases immoderate misplaced remark is uttered. It is surely not nan first clip it has happened,” Parolin was quoted arsenic saying. “However, I don’t deliberation location is immoderate peculiar movement, and truthful acold I haven’t heard thing for illustration that.”

Deacons, meanwhile, were gathering astatine nan Vatican for their typical Holy Year weekend. Francis sewage sick astatine nan commencement of nan Vatican’s Holy Year, nan once-every-quarter-century ceremony of Catholicism. This weekend, Francis was expected to person celebrated deacons, a ministry successful nan religion that precedes ordination to nan priesthood.

In his place, nan Holy Year organizer will observe Sunday’s Mass, nan Vatican said. And for nan 2nd consecutive weekend, Francis will skip his accepted Sunday noon blessing, which he could person delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it.

“Look, moreover though he’s not (physically) here, we cognize he’s here,” said Luis Arnaldo López Quirindongo, a deacon from Ponce, Puerto Rico, who was astatine nan Vatican connected Saturday for nan Jubilee celebration. “He’s recovering, but he’s successful our hearts and is accompanying us, because our prayers and his spell together.”