While he isn’t out of the woods yet, Pope Francis’s health is improving, as doctors shared on Tuesday that he is no longer in imminent danger of death.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church has been suffering from a case of double pneumonia, which has left him hospitalized for almost a month.
Doctors have decided at this time to keep the 88-year-old hospitalized for several more days as he continues to receive treatment and possible rehab.
Still, those treating Francis shared that he remains in stable condition and is making improvements in recent days, according to blood tests and his response to treatment. The diagnosis of double pneumonia left many worried, as Francis has a chronic lung disease. At this time, he is still using supplemental oxygen during the day and a ventilation mask at night.
The Vatican shared an update on Tuesday, noting that Francis woke up at around 8 a.m. local time after a quiet night of recovery.
Late Monday the Vatican shared that doctors had lifted their “guarded” prognosis for Francis, finding that he was no longer in imminent danger.
“In view of the complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented on admission, it will be necessary to continue medical drug therapy in a hospital setting for additional days,” the Vatican statement said.
On Monday, Francis followed the Vatican’s week-long spiritual retreat via videoconference. He was present for the morning and afternoon sessions and is expected to continue attending throughout the week.
Francis was hospitalized last month with a bad case of bronchitis, but the infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and eventually double pneumonia. The sickness left many worried, as the religious leader had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man.