Pope Francis is very ill: he has double pneumonia and his kidneys are failing

Pope Francis has been hospitalized in a Rome hospital in critical condition due to a serious respiratory illness, writes The New York PostIn addition, the 88-year-old pontiff suffers from “incipient, mild kidney failure.”

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Describing a "complex" clinical picture, the Vatican said on February 23 that the kidney disease was "currently under control" and there was no repeat of the respiratory crisis the pope suffered on February 22.

The Vatican said Francis was "alert and well-oriented" and attended Mass in his hospital room with the medical staff caring for him.

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Blood tests showed early kidney failure, but signs of anemia were improving. Dad is receiving large amounts of supplemental oxygen.

Because of the "complexity of the clinical picture" and the time it takes for drug therapy to "start to produce results," his doctors said the situation remains critical.

In his homily Sunday at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan urged those present to "pray with and for Francis." No one in the Vatican, he said, had publicly acknowledged that Francis might die.

“We, the Catholic family, and many of our friends and neighbors, find ourselves this morning at the bedside of a dying father,” Cardinal Dolan said. “Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is in poor health and probably close to death.”

The Vatican said Saturday that Francis had suffered a prolonged “asthmatic respiratory crisis” that required “large amounts of oxygen.” He received a blood transfusion but remained conscious, according to the Vatican. The Vatican issues official reports in consultation with hospital medical staff and the pope’s personal physician.

Francis was admitted to the Agastino Gemelli Hospital on February 14 with a complicated respiratory infection that developed into double pneumonia. Doctors noted that the treatment protocol was particularly complex due to his age and pre-existing lung problems.

Speaking to reporters on February 21, doctors called Francis' condition critical for the first time, noting that his situation could change from day to day. According to surgeon Sergio Alfieri, the pontiff himself admitted to him that his health was unstable.

"He told us that both doors were open," the doctor noted.

On Sunday, February 23, the Vatican said Francis was breathing with the help of an oxygen machine, was conscious and appeared to be experiencing discomfort associated with difficulty breathing.

His already busy schedule has become even more intense since the beginning of December 2025, when the Jubilee, a year of faith, repentance and forgiveness that takes place every quarter century, began. However, his hospital stay has forced the pontiff to cancel all upcoming events.

At a Mass for deacons in St. Peter's Basilica on February 23, Archbishop Rino Fisichella called for greater prayers for the Pope "so that the Lord may support him in this time of trial and illness."

In his written address, instead of the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer he usually says in St. Peter's Square, Francis stressed that he continues to undergo "with confidence" the "necessary treatment" in the hospital and stressed that "rest is also part of the therapy." He thanked the doctors and everyone who sent him words of encouragement, and asked people to pray for him.

Many did just that. At midday, the traditional time for the Angelus prayer, dozens of the faithful gathered in the square in front of the Gemelli hospital. Some prayed in silence or lit candles to place at the foot of a statue of St. John Paul II, another former patient at the hospital, next to colorful balloons with get-well wishes for Francis. Many recited the rosary.

Massimo Chiarucci and Sonia Salaro came to Rome from Latina, about 70 kilometers away, to pray for his recovery.

"He is like a grandfather. He is dear to us, he has become part of our lives," said Salaro, a housewife. "We brought our prayers because he must recover, he still has a lot to do, his intercession is necessary," concluded Chiarucci, a topographer.

Silvana Serrani, a Rome resident originally from Buenos Aires, where Francis was once archbishop, noted that the pontiff has always put the poor first.

"The head of the Roman Catholic Church has always been a very simple man," she said. "Let's hope he gets better."

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Prayer vigils have been ongoing around the world for several days. On the evening of February 23, a Mass for Francis’ recovery was to be celebrated in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, led by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome. At the Gemelli Hospital, the previous Vicar General of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, is praying for Francis, like others, “asking the Lord for help at this moment.”

"We hope that the Pope will feel the strong embrace of all who love him, and there are many of them," Cardinal De Donatis concluded. "We wish him to continue his ministry."

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