Pope Francis remains in critical but stable condition, Vatican says

Pope Francis , who is battling bilateral pneumonia at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he was admitted on February 14, remains in critical condition, but is stable and has not had any further respiratory crises, the Vatican said on Tuesday, February 25.

"The Holy Father's clinical condition remains critical but stable," with the prognosis still "guarded," according to the most recent bulletin on his health. "No acute respiratory episodes have been recorded and his hemodynamic parameters remain stable."

The Pope suffered a "prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis" last Saturday, the day the Vatican first described the pontiff's condition as "critical", and required supplemental oxygen.

Francis, 88, will spend his 12th night at Gemelli, the longest hospital stay of his nearly 12-year papacy.

On Monday, new laboratory tests showed a slight improvement in the Pope's clinical condition, allowing him to return to work. Despite the good news, the medical team accompanying him remained cautious, "taking into account the complexity of the clinical picture."