The health condition of Pope Francis is stable due to the complex illnesses. The attending doctors reported slight improvements on Thursday. Pope Francis continues to receive oxygen during the day and is continuously ventilated at night, according to the Vatican. The chest X-ray conducted on Tuesday confirmed the improvements observed in the previous days.

Therapy for Pope Francis to Continue

The Argentine must continue the therapy in the hospital. The doctors want to wait and see if the upward trend continues in the coming days. Since his last respiratory crisis eleven days ago, Francis' condition has stabilized. On Thursday, as since the beginning of this week, the Pope followed the Lenten exercises of the Roman Curia in the Paul VI Hall via video link. The meditations are led by the Italian Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, the preacher of the Papal Household. The title of the exercises, which run until Friday, is "The Hope of Eternal Life."

Pope Francis Already the Second Oldest Pontiff in History

Francis has been at the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide since March 2013. At 88 years old, he is now the second oldest Pontifex Maximus in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. A mass was celebrated for the Pope at the "Gemelli" Polyclinic on the occasion of his pontificate anniversary. The Vatican Curia congratulated the Pope on the anniversary of his inauguration in a letter in which the cardinals affirmed their solidarity with the Pontiff. Well-wishes and congratulations on the pontificate anniversary arrived from all over the world. Meanwhile, there is discussion about the possibility that Francis might resign for health reasons, like his immediate predecessor Benedict. "That is a possibility, but it depends entirely on the Pope's conscience," said Italian Bishop Giuseppe Baturi, Secretary General of the Italian Bishops' Conference CEI. Only the Pope can decide whether to resign from his office.

(APA/Red)

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