Pope Francis has always wanted his doctors to tell the truth about his condition, Professor Sergio Alfieri said Friday. Alfieri spoke at a press briefing by staff treating the pontiff for pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
Alfieri said this applied to all the bulletins doctors have released since the pope was admitted a week ago.
“The pope is not out of danger,” said Alfieri in the press briefing at Gemelli Hospital. “But his life is not in danger now,” he added. “Today he went to the chapel to pray,” he said, adding, “He’s in good spirits and makes quips about his health.”
“The pope is in a good mood and makes jokes. The other day I said to him: ‘Good morning, Holy Father.’ And he replied: ‘Good morning, holy son.'”
“The chronic disease remains, the pope knows it,” Alfieri continued. “He said, ‘I realize that the situation is serious.’ Sometimes he is short of breath, and the sensation is not pleasant for anyone.”
Alfieri said the pope would remain in hospital for at least another week. He added that Francis had “always wanted us to tell the truth” in medical bulletins.
Another doctor, Luigi Carbone, told the briefing: “We must be focused on overcoming this phase here. We can see the Holy Father’s grit, he’s not someone who gives up.”
Pope needs to be on health alert, expert says
Pope Francis will need to remain on health alert for at least a month and avoid foreign trips as he recovers. Francesco Blasi, a respiratory disorder expert, told ANSA.
The improvement seen so far in the pope’s condition is “a very positive sign,” Blasi said. “While hoping for a full recovery of the pontiff, it must be considered that there is a high risk of recurrence of pneumonia, in 15-20% of cases, in the month following the resolution of the current pathology. Attention must therefore be maximum.”
The pope’s return to activities, Blasi stressed, “will therefore have to be very gradual, and in the immediate future, travel and external activities would be discouraged.”
