Blessings and Bedrest

Pope Francis Struggles To Recover From Pneumonia

Photo by Catholic Church England and Waves / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli University Hospital more than two weeks ago. He has been struggling with respiratory issues whilst also struggling to recover from pneumonia. For a while, he used a mechanical ventilation machine but as of Sunday he did not need it, as he is currently in stable condition. The pope, being 88 years old, continued to receive high-flow supplemental oxygen after a coughing episode last Friday which brought up fears of a lung infection. 

Since Pope Francis has been in the hospital since Feb. 14, there have been speculations and rumors circulating that he might resign. These rumors started a few days after his hospitalization and have continued since. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, a retired prelate, mentioned in a radio interview that Francis might renounce the papacy. Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline was asked about the possibility of the Pope resigning.

Francis is yet to respond to these speculations and is focused on getting better and out of the hospital.