Pope Francis continues to rest in hospital as Vatican’s Holy Year proceeds without him

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Pope Francis shares first audio message of thanks since being hospitalized

Pope Francis thanked his well-wishers in a message taken from Rome’s Gemelli hospital, which was shared in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican. (Credit: Reuters)

Pope Francis remained in the hospital on Saturday recovering from double pneumonia as the Vatican’s Holy Year proceeded without him.

“The night passed quietly, the pope is resting,” the Vatican said Saturday morning.

Three weeks have now passed since Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after a week-long bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and subsequently the onset of pneumonia in both lungs.

POPE FRANCIS STILL RECEIVING OXYGEN THERAPY, WILL NOT READ SUNDAY PRAYERS: VATICAN

Pope Francis waves from the central loggia of St. Peter’s basilica during the Easter ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message and blessing to the City and the world as part of the Holy Week celebrations, in the Vatican on March 31, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/Pool/AFP/Getty)

The pontiff’s condition stabilized following acute respiratory crises.

The Vatican proceeded with its Jubilee celebrations, the once-every-quarter-century Holy Year that is bringing pilgrims from around the world to Rome. The Holy Year is celebrating volunteers this weekend, and many are extending their pilgrimage to pray for Francis outside the hospital.

Pope Francis waves from his pope mobile after the weekly Angelus prayers, at Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican on October 20, 2024. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty)

Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny will preside over the Holy Year Mass on Sunday for the volunteers.

Francis spent 20 minutes on Friday in the Gemelli hospital chapel praying and doing some work in between rest and respiratory and physical therapy, the Vatican said.

POPE FRANCIS SHARES FIRST AUDIO MESSAGE SINCE HOSPITALIZATION: ‘MAY GOD BLESS YOU’

Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican on Aug. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

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The pope has been using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask at night.

Earlier this week, Francis, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, suffered acute respiratory failure and underwent bronchoscopies to suction mucus from his lungs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.