Pope Francis, sidelined by pneumonia for over two weeks, faced a sudden breathing crisis on Friday but is now resting comfortably, the Vatican announced Saturday. The 88-year-old pontiff endured a troubling episode of coughing and vomiting—termed a “bronchospasm”—that briefly deepened worries about his fragile health. Yet, after a night of calm, a Vatican official quipped, “I think he had coffee this morning,” signaling a return to routine.
The scare unfolded around 2 p.m. local time Friday at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where the Pope has been since February 14. A statement detailed how, after a morning of prayer and respiratory therapy, the bronchospasm struck, prompting quick action: doctors used a face mask to deliver gas and performed a procedure to clear his airways. “He responded well,” the Vatican noted, adding that he remains alert and upbeat.
This latest twist follows days of cautious optimism, with earlier updates citing “slight improvement.” On Friday morning, he even received Communion. But the abrupt setback has thrust his condition back into the spotlight, overshadowing recent hopes that the worst was past. Doctors are now watching closely, needing 24 to 48 hours to assess any lasting impact, though they’re holding off on firm predictions.
This marks the longest hospital stint of Pope Francis’s 12-year papacy—and the longest he’s been absent from public view since succeeding Pope Benedict in 2013. For many of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, it’s an unnerving stretch. Crowds gathered outside St. Peter’s Basilica Friday evening, offering “prayers and tears,” as Il Messaggero put it. Headlines like “Vomit and Breathing Crisis: Anxiety Returns” (Il Giornale) capture the renewed tension in Rome.
The Pope’s ordeal began with breathing troubles that led to a bronchitis diagnosis, soon upgraded to pneumonia in both lungs. A “critical” respiratory crisis hit on February 22, but by Sunday, the Vatican reported stability. Still, he’s missed delivering the Angelus prayer in person for two weeks, instead asking Catholics worldwide to pray for him. “Further days of stability are needed,” the Vatican cautioned Saturday, tempering optimism with realism.
Pope Francis’s history makes him especially prone to lung issues. As a young man in Argentina, he battled pleurisy, losing part of a lung—a vulnerability that’s shadowed his tenure. This isn’t his first time at Gemelli; he was treated there for bronchitis in March 2023. Yet, as the first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff, his resilience has long inspired the faithful.
For now, the Vatican’s unusually candid updates—detailing everything from vomiting to ventilation—reflect the gravity of the moment. While news of a Zelenskiy-Trump clash dominates global headlines, the Pope’s health remains a quiet, poignant drama, unfolding amid hospital walls and whispered hopes.