Another restful night for Pope Francis

In its daily morning update, the Holy See Press Office says Pope Francis rested well throughout the night and continues his therapy.

By Vatican News

“Pope Francis rested well throughout the night,” according to the latest update from the Holy See Press Office.

After the restful evening, the Holy Father got up and continued his daily therapy. His condition is similar to yesterday, and there will be another medical statement later this evening. There were no other respiratory crises, like that of Saturday morning.

On Monday, the Pope met at the hospital with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Peña Parra, to sign several decrees related to causes for sainthood that were promulgated on Tuesday.

The Holy Father is being treated in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia; a health update last week noted that he is also showing signs of mild renal insufficiency, which appears to be under control.

A statement Monday evening noted that, despite the severity of the Pope’s condition, he has shown slight improvement. “No episodes of asthma-like respiratory distress occurred [Monday], and some laboratory tests have shown improvement. The monitoring of his mild kidney insufficiency has not raised any concerns. Oxygen therapy continues, although with slightly reduced flow and oxygen levels.”

The statement said doctors are maintaining a “cautious” prognosis “given the complexity of the clinical picture.”