Pope Francis had a good night at
Rome's Gemelli Hospital and this morning he got up and had
breakfast, the Vatican Press Office said early on Friday.
The pontiff has been hospitalized since last Friday, February
14, and is being treated for double pneumonia.
On Thursday night, the Vatican said the pontiff was slightly
improving and remained fever-free.
"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father are slightly
improving.
"He is non-febrile and his haemodynamic parameters continue to
be stable", according to the Vatican Press office.
On Thursday, an expert told ANSA that Francis has seen some
positive signs that his double pneumonia is responding to
antibiotic treatment but his recovery will take a long time.
The pneumologist was speaking after the Vatican said on Thursday
that Francis was continuing to work during his treatment at
Rome's Gemelli Hospital, while top Italian bishop Matteo Zuppi
said he expected the pontiff to make a full recovery.
The slight improvement in inflammatory indices highlighted by
the latest analyses carried out on Pope Francis is "undoubtedly
a positive sign, which indicates a response to the antibiotic
therapy in progress", said Francesco Blasi, full professor of
Respiratory Diseases at the University of Milan and head of the
Complex Structure of Pneumology and Cystic Fibrosis at the Milan
Polyclinic.
"However, the process will probably be long, since the
management of bilateral pneumonia requires several days, if not
weeks, to be under control", he added.
Meanwhile, in an interview published on Friday by newspaper
Corriere della Sera, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said the pontiff
could decide to resign if he will have grave health limitations.
"If he were to have grave difficulties in undertaking his
service, he will make his choice", the cardinal told Corriere.
"He will be the one to decide, as is obvious", said Ravasi, 82
years old and therefore no longer an elector.
However, the cardinal stressed that the potiff's "great desire
is to at least complete the Jubilee, the holy year dedicated to
hope which he feels is his great moment".
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