Pope responding well to pneumonia treatment

(UPDATE) VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is responding well to treatment for pneumonia after three weeks in hospital, the Vatican said Saturday, adding that the 88-year-old was showing "a gradual, slight improvement."

The Argentine pontiff has been in Rome's Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14, and has suffered a series of respiratory crises, but for several days now his condition has been described as "stable."

"The Holy Father's clinical condition in recent days has remained stable and, consequently, testifies to a good response to treatment. There is therefore a gradual, slight improvement," the Vatican said.

Though Francis does not have a fever, his doctors want to see the same positive results "in the coming days" before giving a prognosis, the medical bulletin said.

The pope prayed Saturday morning in the chapel belonging to the special papal suite on the hospital's 10th floor, while in the afternoon he alternated rest with work, it said.

Francis has suffered a series of health issues in recent years, from colon surgery in 2021 to a hernia operation in 2023, but this is the longest and most serious hospitalization of his papacy.

On Thursday, the Vatican released an audio message — the first time the world had heard Francis' voice since he went into the hospital.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square. I accompany you from here," said Francis, taking labored breaths every couple of words.

'Hope'

Catholics have been gathering nightly in St. Peter's Square to pray for Francis, or leave flowers, candles or cards for him outside the Gemelli.

"I hope that his lungs can go back to normal, his voice too," said one believer, Arnoldo Mosca Mondadori.

But "even this (breathless) voice gives us so much hope; it is huge for us. Even a thread of voice can give our heart and soul so much hope," he said.

The pope continues to switch between an oxygen mask at night and a cannula — a plastic tube tucking into the nostrils — delivering high-flow oxygen during the day.