Pope Francis, who remains hospitalized in critical condition with double pneumonia, was well enough to meet with the Vatican secretary of state and his deputy to approve new decrees for saints and schedule a formal meeting to determine their canonization dates, the Vatican announced on Tuesday. The audience, which took place on Monday, indicated that despite Francis’ hospitalization and the cautious outlook from doctors, the Vatican continues to function and plan ahead.
In its Tuesday noon bulletin, the Vatican confirmed that Francis had authorized decrees for five individuals to be beatified and two for canonization. Additionally, the statement noted that during his meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Francis “decided to convene a consistory about the future canonizations.”
Approving decrees from the Vatican’s saint-making office is routine for Francis when he is in residence at the Vatican. However, the decision to move forward with a consistory stood out, considering his current health condition. In its morning update on Tuesday, the Vatican provided a brief but reassuring note: “The pope slept well, all night.”
On Monday evening, doctors reported that although Francis remained in critical condition, there was a “slight improvement” in some of his lab results. In what was described as the most encouraging update in days, the Vatican revealed that Francis had resumed working from his hospital room and had called a parish in Gaza City, which he has maintained contact with since the war began.
As night fell, thousands of faithful gathered in a rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square for the first in a series of nightly Rosary recitations. The gathering echoed the 2005 vigils held when St. John Paul II was nearing the end of his life in the Apostolic Palace, but many in attendance were praying for Francis’ recovery. “We came to pray for the pope, that he may recover soon, for the great mission he’s sharing with his message of peace,” said Hatzumi Villanueva from Peru, who commended Francis for his compassion toward migrants.
Standing on the same platform where Francis usually leads services, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, noted that prayers for the pope’s health have been pouring in from around the world since his hospitalization. “Starting this evening, we want to unite ourselves publicly to this prayer here, in his house,” Parolin said, praying for Francis’ swift recovery “in this moment of illness and trial.”
The vigil was set to continue on Tuesday night, led by Cardinal Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who oversees the Catholic Church’s work in developing countries.
The Argentine pontiff, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been receiving treatment at Rome’s Gemelli hospital since February 14. Doctors have warned that his condition remains precarious due to his age, frailty, and pre-existing lung disease before pneumonia developed.
However, Monday’s medical update noted some improvements: Francis had not experienced any further respiratory crises since Saturday, and doctors had slightly reduced the flow and concentration of supplemental oxygen. While a mild case of kidney insufficiency was detected on Sunday, it was not considered alarming at the moment, though his prognosis remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, right-wing critics of Francis have spread rumors about the severity of his condition, while his supporters have expressed optimism for his recovery. Many recalled that from the moment of his election, Francis has consistently asked for prayers from the faithful. “I’m a witness of everything he did for the church, with a great love of Jesus,” Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga told La Repubblica. “Humanly speaking, I don’t think it’s time for him to go to Paradise.”
Maradiaga, a founding member of Francis’ council of cardinal advisers, recounted his own near-death experience with COVID-19, during which he required high-flow oxygen, similar to Francis. “I know the pope may be suffering, and as a result, I feel closer to him in prayer.”
Outside Gemelli Hospital on a rainy Tuesday morning, ordinary Romans and visitors alike were also offering prayers for Francis, reflecting on the teachings he has shared over nearly 12 years as pope.
Hoang Phuc Nguyen, a Canadian resident visiting Rome as part of a Holy Year pilgrimage, made a special stop at Gemelli to pray for the pope at the statue of St. John Paul II outside the hospital’s main entrance. “We heard that he is in the hospital right now, and we are very worried about his health,” Nguyen said. “He is our father, and it is our responsibility to pray for him.”
