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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Pope Francis "rested well during the night and woke up shortly after 8:00 a.m.," according to the Holy See Press Office on Wednesday morning.
The pope, 88, is receiving treatment for bilateral pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.
"His overall clinical condition remains stable, including heart, kidney, and blood values," reported Vatican News, the official news portal of the Holy See.
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Why It Matters
Pope Francis is head of the Catholic Church, which counts around 1.3 billion believers among its flock. Speculation about the pope's potential resignation began circulating shortly after his hospitalization.
What to Know
Pope Francis has been hospitalized since February 14, the longest stay of his 12-year papacy. The pope has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed in his youth.
On Monday, Francis suffered two respiratory crises, setting back his recovery. Doctors removed a significant amount of mucus from his lungs and placed him on a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask overnight to assist his breathing.
By Tuesday morning, he was stable enough to switch to high-flow supplemental oxygen through a nasal tube.
On Tuesday evening, the Holy See said that Pope Francis remained in stable condition, breathing with the aid of supplemental oxygen following respiratory crises the day before, though doctors planned to resume using a ventilation mask at night.
Francis' treatment continues as the Vatican prepares for Lent, the solemn period beginning with Ash Wednesday and leading up to Easter on April 20.
A cardinal has been designated to take Francis' place at Vatican celebrations, with a traditional service and procession in Rome
On Ash Wednesday, observant Catholics receive a sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads, a gesture that underscores human mortality. It is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics that signals the start of Christianity's most penitent season.
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On February 20, Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, a retired prelate not widely regarded as close to the pope, hinted in a radio interview that Francis might step down.
When asked about the possibility of resignation during a Vatican press conference, French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline—sometimes mentioned as a potential successor to Francis—responded: "Everything is possible."
Typically, popes die in office, though Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, stepped down as pope in 2013 due to age and ill health.
What People Are Saying
Reverend Fernando Laguna, rector of the Argentine church in Rome, told AP outside the hospital: "I am very happy to be now close to him. I would like to hug him, but it's not possible, but he told us that a prayer is like a hug. So I am happy despite the pain."
Pope Francis posted on X on March 2: "I would like to thank you for your prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world. I feel all your affection and closeness and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am 'carried' and supported by all God's people."
What Happens Next
While his condition has stabilized, his prognosis remains guarded, indicating that he is not yet out of danger.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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