---
title: "Pope Francis remained stable on Tuesday, with no new crises, Vatican says"
description: "VATICAN CITY, March 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, batting double pneumonia in hospital, remained stable throughout the day on Tuesday and did not have any new respiratory crises, the Vatican said."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-04-pope-francis-remained-stable-on-tuesday-with-no-new-crises-vatican-says/"
published: "2025-03-04T21:05:33"
updated: "2025-03-04T21:05:35"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 435
---

# Pope Francis remained stable on Tuesday, with no new crises, Vatican says

> VATICAN CITY, March 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, batting double pneumonia in hospital, remained stable throughout the day on Tuesday and did not have any new respiratory crises, the Vatican said.

By Reuters · Published 4 March 2025, 23:05 SAST · Updated 4 March 2025, 23:05 SAST

## Key points
- Pope Francis is holding steady in the hospital, dodging respiratory crises like a seasoned dodgeball player, but with a prognosis that's still more "guarded" than a Vatican secret.
- Pope Francis remains stable after two respiratory crises, with no new complications reported.
- The 88-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized for over two weeks due to a severe respiratory infection.
- His prognosis is described as "guarded," indicating ongoing health risks despite recent improvements.
- Speculation about a potential resignation persists, but sources close to Francis affirm he has no plans to step down.

## Content

- Pope Francis stable, with no new crises, Vatican says
- Francis, 88, had suffered two respiratory crises on Monday
- Pope's prognosis remains 'guarded'

By Joshua McElwee

Francis, 88, had suffered [two episodes](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AS8N3OA0B7&linkedFromStory=true) of what the Vatican described as "acute respiratory insufficiency" on Monday.

The latest [detailed](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3PG0RZ&linkedFromStory=true) medical update on his condition said the pope had suffered no similar problems on Tuesday.

"Throughout the day, the Holy Father's clinical condition has remained stable," it said. "He has remained without fever, always alert, collaborating with his treatment, and well-oriented."

Francis has been in Rome's Gemelli hospital for more than two weeks. He was admitted on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that triggered other complications.

The bulletin was the second cautiously upbeat report of the day, after the Vatican press office said earlier that the pope's condition had stabilised overnight Monday.

While the pope had stopped using non-invasive mechanical ventilation to help him breathe during the day on Tuesday, the latest update said he would return to using ventilation overnight Tuesday.

Doctors said his prognosis as "guarded", meaning the pope is not out of danger.

Francis has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest absence from view since his papacy started in March 2013. His doctors have not said how long his treatment might last.

The pope's public absence has stoked speculation, even from senior cardinals, that he could choose to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign the papacy. But biographers and friends of the pontiff describe him as a "fighter", with [no plans to resign](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N3PM1CE&linkedFromStory=true).

Monday's setback followed two days of relatively upbeat statements about his condition. The Vatican said the two respiratory episodes on Monday were caused by "a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus".

The pope, it said, had suffered a bronchospasm, akin to an asthma attack, and had required two bronchoscopies, or procedures to inspect his air passages.

A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorised to discuss the pope's health, said on Tuesday that the pope's doctors believe the respiratory episodes have been part of his body's normal response in fighting infection.

Francis has experienced [several bouts of ill health](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N37Z29G&linkedFromStory=true) over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.

[Double pneumonia](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3PA0A7&linkedFromStory=true) is a serious infection in both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, editing by Alvise Armellini, Andrew Heavens, Alexandra Hudson, Crispian Balmer)