Pope Francis has spent a quiet night in hospital had rested after his condition was said to have deteriorated the previous evening following an asthma attack, the Vatican said on Sunday.
In a written message shared on Sunday, the 88-year-old pontiff called on the worldwide Catholic community of 1.4 billion people to pray for him as he continues his recovery.
He also expressed his deep gratitude for the outpouring of support he has received. In particular, he thanked his doctors at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where he has been hospitalized for over a week due to respiratory illness.
“I sincerely thank the doctors and healthcare workers at this hospital for the attention they are showing me,” he said.
Due to his illness, Pope Francis was unable to deliver the traditional Sunday prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace to the thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square. This has become customary in recent weeks, as he also missed the prayer last week.
Francis’ condition worsened on Saturday following a “prolonged asthma attack” that required the administration of oxygen and an anaemic condition requiring a blood transfusion, according to the Vatican.
The pontiff – now the second oldest pope in history – has had respiratory problems since before Christmas.
At the hospital, doctors diagnosed pneumonia that has affected both lungs and have described his condition as “critical.” At such an advanced age, pneumonia is considered very dangerous.
Francis also suffers from a respiratory infection with various pathogens. He has been in poor health for a long time. Concern for him has been widespread worldwide since he was admitted to hospital.
According to his doctors, one of the most serious complications could be sepsis, a severe blood poisoning.
German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller has dismissed speculation about Pope Francis possibly stepping down, asserting that abdication is “not an option” for the leader of the Catholic Church.
“You don’t abandon the cross,” Müller told the Italian daily Il Messaggero in comments published on Sunday.
In the interview, Müller also criticized the resignation of Francis’ German predecessor, Benedict XVI, who unexpectedly abdicated in 2013. “I never understood the reasons for this step,” he said.
Expressing scepticism about papal abdications due to exhaustion or inability to govern, Müller warned that such resignations could weaken the principle of the Church’s visible unity.
“Renunciation must not become a routine matter, like stepping down from a company,” he added.