Pope Francis is not facing an immediate threat to his life, yet his condition remains a cause for concern, according to his medical team. According to Vatican News, the Pope is not “in danger of death,” but he’s also not fully “out of danger.”
Dr Sergio Alfieri, the lead surgeon overseeing his care, and Dr Luigi Carbone, deputy director of the Vatican’s health service, stated that the 88-year-old pontiff would remain hospitalised for at least another week.
The Pope has now spent a full week at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, fuelling speculation about his capacity to continue leading the Catholic Church and reviving discussions over a potential resignation.
The pontiff was admitted on February 14 with breathing difficulties, and later diagnosed with double pneumonia. Though the Vatican has reported slight improvements in his health, the length of his stay has unsettled clergy and followers alike, many recalling past instances of papal resignations under similar circumstances.
On Friday, the Vatican reassured the faithful that Francis had "a good night" and was able to get up, eat breakfast, and continue his work from his hospital room. Nevertheless, concerns linger over his long-term ability to govern a church of 1.3 billion followers.
Speculation over a potential resignation gained momentum on Friday after Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi suggested that the pope could step down if his health made it impossible to fulfil his duties. The cardinal, however, also noted Francis’s tendency "to fight" and expressed his belief that the pontiff would likely remain at the helm for this year’s Jubilee celebrations.
"If he should have some serious difficulties carrying out his service, he will make his choice," Ravasi said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. But he added that the Pope sees the Jubilee as his "great moment," hinting that Francis may not yet be ready to relinquish his position.
The pontiff has maintained a busy schedule despite his condition, continuing to sign off on Vatican decisions and even holding phone calls with priests in Gaza. He has also received visitors, including Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who described their 20-minute meeting as light-hearted. "We joked as always," she said. "He hasn’t lost his proverbial sense of humour."
But behind the reassurances, whispers of uncertainty persist. Pope’s health has been an ongoing concern in recent years, with previous hospitalisations for bronchitis, pneumonia, and a colon operation in 2021. The Pope also suffers from mobility issues and has had several falls, further fuelling discussions on succession planning.
The possibility of a papal resignation is no longer unprecedented. Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, shocked the world in 2013 by stepping down, the first pope in six centuries to do so.
The Pope himself has acknowledged in the past that he wrote a resignation letter early in his papacy to be used if his health ever prevented him from leading effectively.
Still, in January this year, he downplayed the idea, calling resignation a "distant hypothesis." Canon law dictates that any papal resignation must be freely decided without external pressure, and there is no indication that Francis has reached such a conclusion.
While Vatican officials maintain that the pope remains engaged, his prolonged hospital stay has unsettled worshippers. From Buenos Aires to St. Peter’s Basilica, vigils have been held, with the faithful offering prayers for his recovery.
“We always put him in our intentions," said Rodomina Valdez, a worshipper in Buenos Aires’ Metropolitan Cathedral. "But what we can do is put him in our prayers and offer fasting."
For now, the world watches and waits. The Vatican has cancelled all of the Pope’s public engagements until at least Saturday, and his doctors have advised complete rest. But with every passing day in hospital, the question of his future looms larger, stirring a deep unease within the Catholic Church.
