OAN Staff Blake Wolf
1:00 PM – Friday, February 28, 2025
Pope Francis’s health worsened on Friday after suffering an “attack of bronchospasm,” which reportedly resulted in the Roman Catholic Church leader “breathing in vomit” — as he continues to fight against double pneumonia.
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Bronchospasm is described as a potential life-threatening condition which narrows the airways in the lungs.
The incident resulted in the Pope aspirating some of the vomit, leading medical staff to immediately respond to the issue — prior to placing him on mechanical ventilation.
The Vatican revealed that the Pope responded well to the mechanical ventilator. He remained “alert and oriented at all times.”
Pope Francis has been hospitalized in Rome, Italy, since February 14th, battling against double pneumonia, which has left him in “critical condition.”
Since then, the Pope has been recovering slightly, though the bronchospasm incident set his recovery time back as it resulted in a “sudden worsening of the respiratory picture.”
“As in recent days, the night passed peacefully and the Pope is now resting,” the Vatican stated.
“Given the complexity of his clinical condition, further days of clinical stability are needed to clarify the prognosis,” the Vatican continued. “We can say that we have come out of the most critical phase and we are back to what was previously described as a complex picture.”
Prior to the bronchospasm on Friday, the Vatican revealed that the Pope spent his morning receiving supplemental oxygen and respiratory physiotherapy. The Pope also engaged in a prayer session in the chapel.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, an Italian Catholic prelate who has been the Major Penitentiary since April 2024, is set to preside over the Ash Wednesday ceremony on March 5th — while the Pope continues to rest and recover.
The Vatican noted that Pope Francis’s prognosis “remains uncertain.”
“The bulletin again speaks of an improvement, a slight one, but an improvement, but the fact that the prognosis is reserved means that the doctors still have concerns.”
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