Pope Francis appears to finally be on the mend more than three weeks after he entered the hospital with bronchitis.
In a Monday evening update, the Holy See Press Office said his “guarded” prognosis has been lifted, although he is still dealing with double pneumonia.
“In view of the complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented on admission, it will be necessary to continue medical drug therapy in a hospital setting for additional days,” the Vatican statement said, per The Associated Press.
Health update for the pope
Pope Francis, 88, has been in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since Feb. 14, when he sought treatment for bronchitis.
Since then, he’s had many difficult days, especially after he developed pneumonia.
On Monday, March 3, the pope went through two episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency,” as the Deseret News previously reported. But since then, he’s been steadily improving and doing some work every day.
“In a sign of his improved health, Francis followed the Vatican’s weeklong spiritual retreat via videoconference on Monday in both the morning and afternoon sessions,” the AP reported.
The Holy See Press Office announced early Tuesday that the pope slept well overnight “and woke up around 8 a.m.” local time, per Vatican News.
The ongoing hospitalization is the longest hospitalization of Pope Francis' papacy.
Thursday will mark the 12th anniversary of his election, the AP reported.