Pope Francis hit the three-week mark Friday in his hospitalization for double pneumonia, in stable condition and resuming his therapies after giving the world a tangible indication of just how frail and sick he is.
The Vatican said the 88-year-old pope had a good night’s rest and woke up Friday morning just after 8 a.m. He resumed his respiratory and physical therapy, using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe. Doctors said they didn’t expect to give another medical update until Saturday, given his continued stability and absence of respiratory crises or other setbacks for several days now.
But Francis offered a first public sign of just how weak he is on Thursday by recording an audio message that was broadcast to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square who had gathered for the nightly recitation of the rosary prayer.
In it, Francis thanked the people for their prayers. But his voice was barely discernible through his labored breaths and he spoke in his native Spanish, not Italian.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, I accompany you from here,” he said to the hushed square. “May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.”
The messaged served many purposes. It was the first public sign of life from the pope since he entered Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, and put to rest right-wing conspiracy theories and rumors calling into question his true medical status.
The Vatican said Francis himself wanted to record it, to thank all those people who had been praying for him. In his Sunday message last weekend, Francis said he had felt the affection of so many people and felt “as if I am ‘carried’ and supported by all God’s people.”
But the audio also underscored just how weak Francis is. For anyone used to hearing his voice, this audio — which is often so soft it sounds like a whisper — was an emotional punch to the gut that hammered home just how hard it is for him to even breathe.
The cardinal presiding over the prayer, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, had told the crowd at the start of the service that he had “beautiful news, a beautiful gift” to share.
“Oh che bello,” marveled one nun in the crowd. “Oh how beautiful.”
The clearly surprised crowd broke into applause and then applauded again after Francis’ final “Gracias.” Fernández Artime, for his part, bowed his head as he listened.
The 88-year-old pope has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.
The Vatican has given twice-daily updates on Francis’ condition, but has distributed no photos or video of him since the morning of Feb. 14, when he held a handful of audiences at the Vatican before being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for what was then just a bad case of bronchitis.
The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis for the longest period of his 12-year papacy and raised questions about the future of his papacy.
The absence of any images of Francis in a country where the image and voice of the pontiff is a part of everyday life helped fuel dire conspiracy theories, primarily among right-wing critics of the pope, about Francis’ true fate.
Francis has issued written messages from the Gemelli, including some that seemed very much like him. But even Vatican officials had been clamoring to hear his voice, saying the pope’s calls for peace are particularly needed at a time of such global conflict and war.
More than any pope before him, Francis has mastered the art of informal and direct communication, often recording cell phone videos for visitors, anything from a “Happy Birthday” for someone’s mother to a religious prayer for a particular church group. For the considerable effort it must have taken, the audio message made clear that he understood the power of his voice, even in its weakened state.
Doctors on Thursday reported that Francis was in stable condition, with no new respiratory crises or fever. He continued his respiratory and other physical therapy Thursday, worked, rested and prayed from the 10th floor papal suite at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. His prognosis remains guarded, meaning he is not out of danger.
The pope has been sleeping with a non-invasive mechanical mask to guarantee that his lungs expand properly overnight and help his recovery. He has been transitioning to receiving high-flow oxygen with a nasal tube during the day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.