22 февраля Ватикан сообщил, что Франциск suffered prolonged respiratory crisis, during which he had real difficulty breathing. Although doctors had mentioned that he had surpassed the most critical phase of the infection, they did not confirm that he was completely out of danger. The Vatican made the decision to make alternative plans for Ash Wednesday mass, noting that the pope still has a long way to go in recovery.
Cardinal Angelo De Donatis will preside over the Ash Wednesday ceremony on March 5, while the pope continues to recover at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome. The Vatican statement mentioned that Francisco had left his room to pray in his nearby private chapel, in addition to continuing respiratory physiotherapy and other work.
Doctors avoided declaring that the pontiff was in critical condition, indicating that he had passed the most severe phase of the infection. On Friday, Francisco experienced a coughing episode that resulted in the inhalation of vomit, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation to resolve the situation. Despite this, he remained conscious and alert at all times.
This episode led doctors to maintain a cautious prognosis regarding Francisco's health after a two-week battle against double pneumonia. His condition was affected by a "sudden worsening of the respiratory situation," and specialists needed 24 to 48 hours to assess his overall clinical condition after the incident.
Doctors described the episode as an "isolated crisis of bronchial spasm" triggered by a coughing attack in which he inhaled vomit. They noted that the Pope was resting after the situation and that the favorable evolution of his lung infection would require more days of clinical stability before being able to confirm that he was out of danger.
Francisco was admitted to the Gemelli hospital on February 14 due to complications from bronchitis. Despite constant but mild improvements, concerns for his health were reflected in the need for high-flow supplemental oxygen, although he had recently begun using a mask, suggesting better respiratory function.
