Pope Francis showed more signs of recovery on Thursday, but more time is needed to determine his medical prognosis.
“Due to the complexity of the clinical picture, further days of clinical stability are needed to clarify the prognosis,” the Vatican said Thursday.
The Holy See Press Office confirmed the pope’s health is “improving” as he continues to undergo high-flow oxygen therapy, using a mask, as well as respiratory physiotherapy sessions.
The Vatican said the Holy Father dedicated time Thursday afternoon to “prayer in the chapel of his private apartment on the 10th floor [of Gemelli Hospital], where he received the Eucharist. He then engaged in work activities.”
Though the Holy Father’s pneumonia symptoms have not changed since Wednesday, his current medical condition is no longer considered “critical,” according to Vatican sources.
As Catholics worldwide continue to pray for the pope’s recovery, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, offered Mass in the Church of San Marcello al Corso on Thursday for the “gift of health” for the Holy Father.
The Church of San Marcello al Corso houses a 15th-century wooden crucifix venerated by Romans as miraculous, which has been used in processions during the Church’s jubilee years in the 17th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
In 2020, Pope Francis brought the San Marcello crucifix to St. Peter’s Square to bless the world and to pray for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
