The Pope’s overall condition is “improving slightly” and his heart is working well, as he continues hospital treatment for double pneumonia, the Vatican has said.
Francis, 88, does not have a fever and his “hemodynamic parameters” are “stable”, according to spokesman Matteo Bruni.
Hemodynamic parameters refer to the body’s ability to regulate the flow of blood through its organs and tissues.
The pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital last Friday after struggling with breathing difficulties as a bout of bronchitis had worsened.
The Pope has been diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs, on top of a polymicrobial infection in his respiratory tract, meaning a combination of bacteria, viral and other organisms.
Mr Bruni said that after waking on Thursday, Francis got out of bed and had breakfast in an armchair, before working from his hospital room with his aides.
Blood tests have showed a “slight improvement” in some inflammation readings but it will still be some time before doctors will know if the various therapies are working.
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He is taking a combination of antibiotics and cortisone for what doctors also diagnosed as asthmatic bronchitis.
On the same day as the positive update, leading figures in the Catholic Church have openly discussed the possibility of Francis stepping down.
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‘Everything is possible’
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, the archbishop of Marseille, told a Vatican news conference that “everything is possible”.
He was speaking at a briefing on a youth initiative, which was instead dominated by questions over the Pope’s health and whether he might decide to resign if he does not recover fully.
Cardinal Juan Jose Omella Omella, his counterpart from Barcelona, emphasised that church life continued even with Francis in the hospital.
“Popes change, we bishops change, priests in parishes change, communities change. But the train continues being on the move,” he said.
Could Francis follow in Benedict’s footsteps?
Another cardinal, Gianfranco Ravasi, was asked earlier on Thursday if Francis might decide to follow in the footsteps of Pope Benedict XVI and step down if he becomes too ill.
Benedict became the first pope in 600 years to retire when he decided in 2013 that he wasn’t strong enough to carry on.
Cardinal Ravasi was quoted as telling RTL 102.5 radio: “There is no question that if he [Francis] was in a situation where his ability to have direct contact (with people) as he likes to do… was compromised, then I think he might decide to resign.”
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Pope Francis has a history of respiratory illness, having lost part of one of his lungs to pleurisy as a young man.
He had an acute case of pneumonia in 2023 and is prone to respiratory infections in winter.
The illness has not affected his appetite for work, though, Cardinal Aveline said, as “If you really want him to rest, you have to hospitalise him.”
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Francis has already confirmed that shortly after being elected pontiff he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems prevented him from carrying out his duties.
Another senior cleric, Archbishop Giuseppe Satriano of Bari, said he was confident Francis would recover as “he’s a fighter, so I think he’ll win this battle”.
