A month of Pope Francis hospitalized: these are key moments

On February 14, journalists who usually follow the news of the Vatican received at 10:53 (local time) a statement in which it was reported that Pope Francis had been admitted to the Gemelli polyclinic hospital “to continue the treatment of bronchitis.”

It was no surprise. The pontiff had been able to read texts aloud for several weeks, afflicted with bronchitis, which caused a hoarse cough and respiratory difficulties. As a precautionary measure, the audiences that traditionally took place in the Apostolic Palace were transferred TO THE CASA MARTAhis residence in the Vatican, to avoid his outdoor exposure.

On the day of his hospitalization, the fourth in twelve years of pontificate, the Holy Father fulfilled all the appointments provided for in his agenda. He met with the prefect of Dicastery for Evangelization, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle; with the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico; with the president and general director of the CNN, Mark Thompson; and with members of the Foundation Joy and hope Before those who even brought strength to pronounce a brief speech.

With just a voice, interrupted by a dry cough, he praised the work they do, “especially in favor of the poorest.”

In the afternoon, Vatican’s press office confirmed that the Holy Father suffered an infection in the respiratory tract. Three days later, the director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed that the Holy Father suffered a “polymicrobial infection” in the respiratory system as a result of bronchitis.

In that first week of hospitalization of Pope Francis, dozens of journalists from all over the world began to reach Rome to inform about their health conditions. Today, when a month has passed since admission to the Gemelli, there are more than 650 informators accredited to the Holy See.

Bilateral Pneumonia Diagnosis

The concern grew exponentially when the second thoracic control of control that was submitted in the Gemelli revealed the appearance of a “bilateral pneumonia” in addition to an “asthmatic bronchitis”Bronchitis degenerated into an infection that still affects the two lungs.

Four days later, on Friday, February 21, at 5:30 p.m., the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, where hundreds of faithful began to leave candles and pray for their health, became an impromptu press room.

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, director of the Medical-Surgical Department of the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, made clear to the microphones that Pope Francis I wasn’t “out of danger.”

“The Pope knows that he is in danger and has asked us to transmit it,” said Alfieri before journalists at the first week of hospitalization of the Holy Father.

In great detail and without dodging any questions, he described with Luigi Carbone, the doctor who attends him in the Vatican, the respiratory difficulties of Pope Francis and warned that the greatest risk he faced was that the infection located in his lungs passed to the bloodstream and cause him a septicemia.

Meloni, Primera Visit en el Gemelli

The first visit that Pope Francis received in the room of the tenth plant of the Gemelli was that of the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. The policy went to the hospital on Wednesday, February 19, as reported in a Communication Palacio ChigiHeadquarters of the Italian government and wished the Holy Father a prompt recovery.

“I am very happy to have found him alert and receptive,” said President Meloni, “we have joked as always. She has not lost her proverbial sense of humor,” he said.

In this month hospitalized, the Pontiff has also received three times the visit of the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and of the substitute for general affairs, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra. The Vatican said that the last encounter, last Sunday, was to put the pontiff “up to date on some situations of the Church and the world.”

The Rosary

With the intention of praying for the health of the Pontiff, 88, the Cardinals of the Roman Curia convened on February 24 a Rosario Every night in the Plaza de San Pedro. This community prayer has moved this week to the Paul VI Classroom of the Vatican due to the Spiritual Exercises of Lent, which since Sunday, March 9 and until today, March 14, the preacher of the Pontifical House, friar Roberto Pasolini, has taught.

On March 6, the faithful who were praying the Rosary in San Pedro lived a great surprise that cut their breath. The Pro-Prefect of Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, the Spanish Cardinal Ángel Artime announced together with a great icon of the Virgin Mary: “Dear brothers and sisters, before starting prayer, I have been asked to share with you very good news.” Next, a audio message recorded that morning by the Holy Father of 27 seconds.

“I thank you with all my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, and I will accompany you from here. May God bless them and that the Virgin Mary takes care of them, ”said Pope Francis with a very weak and trembling voice, barely noticeable for the noise of the medical device that helps him breathe.

The emotional impact of listening to his live voice was huge after weeks without having any direct communication.

Blood transfusions, respiratory crisis and vomiting

On Saturday, February 22, Pope Francis suffered the first serious respiratory crisis in the hospital. Around 14:00 (local time) the Pontiff began to feel the first symptoms of suffocation that ended up deriving in a prolonged respiratory crisis from which only he recovered two hours later.

The Vatican also revealed that Pope Francis needed to receive a blood transfusion to face a lack of platelets related to anemia and found a mild initial renal failure.

The Holy Father managed to overcome this crisis, but a few days later he had to face the most complicated day of his convalescence.

On February 28, after days of moderate optimism in the Vatican, the clinical evolution of Pope Francis worsened suddenly.

He suffered a new respiratory crisis that aggravated his state. According to the medical report, he suffered an isolated attack of bronchospasm, a strong cough coup that also caused him vomiting, and during the crisis, gastric juices also entered the lungs.

Immediately the alarms jumped and the doctors decided to proceed to the bronchoaspiration and the non -invasive mechanical ventilation. While the pontiff did not lose knowledge at any time and collaborated with the therapeutic maneuvers of the specialists, the alarms among the doctors jumped.

Last crisis and consolidation of the improvement of Pope Francis

The last setback in Pope Francis’s clinical picture was this Monday, March 3 when he suffered others Two episodes of respiratory failure acute Pope Francis had to receive non -invasive mechanical ventilation, that is, a mask with oxygen, to help him breathe. Since then, the pontiff sleeps with this device, which alternates during the day, with high flow oxygen therapy that it receives through the help of nasal cannulas.

This has allowed the Holy Father to have not suffered more respiratory crises. In fact, for a week, informative newsletters with the details about their clinical picture are more optimistic.

On Monday, March 10, the medical team that serves Pope Francis withdraw the reserved forecast After verifying that “the improvements recorded in recent days have been further established.” This means, as confirmed by Vatican sources, that the Holy Father is not in imminent danger of life and that administered antibiotic therapy is working against bilateral pneumonia.

In addition, the thoracic scanner that was subjected on March 12 confirmed that bilateral pneumonia is referring, although for the moment, There is no confirmed discharge date.