The Vatican is on high alert as Pope Francis battles a nasty bout of double pneumonia, proving once again that even the holiest among us are not immune to life’s inconveniences—like breathing.
The 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church checked into Rome’s Gemelli hospital on February 14 (yes, Valentine’s Day—truly a romantic getaway for one), after struggling to catch his breath. Now, after a week of medical intervention, things have taken a turn for the concerning.
“The Pope’s condition is still critical,” the Vatican announced in a statement on Saturday (February 22), essentially saying, “Yeah, he’s not out of the woods yet—pray harder.”
Reports state that Pope Francis suffered an asthma-like respiratory crisis that required high-flow oxygen. Meanwhile, his blood tests revealed thrombocytopenia (a fancy way of saying “low platelets”) and anemia, prompting a round of blood transfusions. In short, his body is acting like a stubborn Wi-Fi router—keeps disconnecting, needs a reset.
Despite all this, the Pope remains alert and reportedly spent the day in an armchair, because even when unwell, he refuses to lounge in bed like the rest of us mere mortals. That being said, he’s reportedly more fatigued than before, and Vatican officials are keeping their fingers crossed (and maybe some holy water handy).
For those who don’t know, Pope Francis has a history of playing respiratory system roulette. Back in 1957, he had such a severe lung infection that doctors had to remove part of his lung. And yet, here he is, decades later, still running the show—proof that resilience is an underrated virtue.
We’re wishing Pope Francis a swift recovery and hoping he’s back to business soon—because the world needs his wisdom, and, let’s be honest, a little divine intervention.
