Pope Francis, starting in the 4th week in the hospital, showing improvement: Vatican

Pope Francis shows a “good response” to his hospital treatment for double pneumonia and his overall condition gradually improves, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, 88, was at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for more than three weeks with severe respiratory infection that required an ongoing evolving treatment.

“The clinical situation of the Holy Father in recent days has remained stable and, consequently, shows a good response to treatment,” the latest detailed medical information said.

The Pope, he said, continued to have no fever and the blood tests remained stable.

Although doctors said they had seen “a gradual, slight improvement” in the Pope’s overall state, they kept a guard prognosis “to ensure that these initial improvements continue in the coming days”.

The Pope continues to receive oxygen to help with his breath, the Vatican press office said. During the day, he uses a small oxygen hose under his nose. At night he has used non -invasive mechanical ventilation as he sleeps.

Francis has experienced many periods of poor health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had a side as a young adult and had been removed from a lung.

Double pneumonia is a severe infection in both lungs that can inflate and gown, making breathing difficult.

Francis has not seen publicly since he entered the hospital, the biggest absence since his Papism began about 12 years ago.

Pope’s doctors haven’t said how long the treatment can last. He will lose a weekly prayer with pilgrims for the fourth week in a row on Sunday, the Vatican said.

Doctors who are not involved in Francis’ care have said that the Pope is likely to face a long, full way to recovery, given his age and other long -term medical conditions.

Welcomes leave candles, flowers for the Pope

The tone of updates by the Vatican has been carefully optimistic in recent days, as the Pope suffered what was described as two episodes of “acute respiratory failure” on March 3.

The teams gathered outside Gemelli Hospital throughout the day on Saturday to pray for Francis. They placed candles, prayer beads and other objects on the basis of a statue of the late Pope Ioannis Pavlos II, who was dealt with many times over 1978-2005 of his papacy.

Maria Nev, from Naples, Italy, left a small bouquet of yellow flowers. “He is an incredible person who gives so much to others, and in turn we have to give him back,” he said.

Francis, who is known to work for exhaustion, continued to work from the hospital. On Saturday, the Vatican announced the appointments of four bishops who would require his approval.

Francis also sent a message to a group against abortion in Italy, which took over a pilgrimage to the Vatican.

The message, read loudly in the team by Cardinal Pietro Parolin at St. Peter’s Basilica, was signed by Francis in a note to say that he was sent “Gemelli Hospital”.