Sepsis threat in pope's pneumonia battle as Vatican Holy Year celebrations march on without him

Pope Francis battles pneumonia and sepsis threat, remains hospitalised, missing Vatican events, recovery uncertain.

The Vatican carried on with its Holy Year celebrations without the Pope on Saturday (February 22, 2025), as Pope Francis battled pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalised for at least another week.

Pope Francis slept well overnight, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a brief early update Saturday (February 22, 2025).

But doctors have warned that the main threat facing the 88-year-old Pope Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia.

As of Friday (February 21, 2025), there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Pope Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition.

“He is not out of danger,” said his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone. “So like all fragile patients I say they are always on the golden scale: In other words, it takes very little to become unbalanced.”

Pope Francis, who has chronic lung disease, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened.

Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it.