Pope Francis has been hospitalised with double pneumonia for three weeks, his longest absence from the papacy yet.
Pope Francis has released an audio message thanking well-wishers around the world who have been praying for his recovery, his first public sign of life since he was hospitalised three weeks ago.
The short, two-line message was recorded by Francis on Thursday from Rome’s Gemelli hospital and broadcast to the faithful who had gathered in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the nightly recitation of the rosary prayer.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, I accompany you from here,” the pope said, speaking softly in his native Spanish and with laboured breaths.
“May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.”
Pilgrims had been gathering in St Peter’s Square every evening since the 88-year-old pontiff’s hospitalisation on February 14. The hundreds of people there applauded when they heard the message.
On Friday, the Vatican said the pope had a “calm night” of rest and woke up just before 8am.
Francis was initially diagnosed with bronchitis but this developed into pneumonia in both lungs, requiring continuously evolving treatment and prompting alarm across the globe. Double pneumonia is a serious infection that can inflame and scar both lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
The pope has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest such absence since his papacy as head of the Catholic Church started 12 years ago. His doctors have not said how long the treatment might last.
The Vatican has been providing twice-daily updates on his health, one in the morning and in an evening medical bulletin. On Thursday, it said Francis was in “stable” condition for a third day in a row.
Nonetheless, “the doctors are still maintaining a reserved prognosis,” said the Vatican, as they are not sure how his condition will evolve.
Pope Francis releases an audio message to thank everyone who has been praying for his health.
The audio clip was broadcast in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, March 6, as Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime led the nightly Rosary prayer.https://t.co/owgis4dsGX pic.twitter.com/bi7nTAzDRs
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) March 6, 2025
Francis missed the formal Ash Wednesday celebrations in Rome marking the start of Lent, the six-week period leading up to Easter, but took part in a blessing in his private suite.
During previous hospitalisations, the pope had appeared on the hospital’s balcony for his weekly Angelus prayer at noon on Sundays. He has missed the last three, however, and no announcement has yet been made about whether he will make an appearance this weekend.
The Vatican confirmed on Thursday that senior cardinal Michael Czerny would stand in for Francis and lead the mass marking the first Sunday of Lent this weekend.
Francis has experienced several bouts of ill health over the past two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy, an inflammation of the lungs that can cause sharp chest pain, as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
The pope’s health has led to much speculation, particularly among his critics, about whether he may decide to resign like his predecessor Benedict XVI.