CV NEWS FEED // As of the evening of Feb. 19, local time, Pope Francis’ condition has seen a “slight improvement,” Vatican News reported.
“The Holy Father’s clinical condition is stationary,” the Holy See Press Office announced in its evening update, according to Vatican News. “The blood tests, evaluated by the medical staff, show a slight improvement, particularly in the inflammatory indices.”
He was also able to sit in an armchair instead of lying in bed in Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, according to an earlier report from the news outlet. The article noted that he had had “a restful night” and had eaten breakfast.
As CatholicVote previously reported, the Pope has been receiving care for bilateral pneumonia, bronchiectasis, and asthmatic bronchitis.
In the afternoon, the Pope received a visit from Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. In an official statement, Meloni, on behalf of the government and the Italian people, wished the Pope a speedy recovery, according to an earlier Vatican News article.
“I am very pleased to have found him alert and responsive,” Meloni said, according to the article. “We joked as always. He has not lost his well-known sense of humour.”
Prayers and calls for prayers continue around the world.
Archbishop of Manila Cardinal José F. Advincula, according to a Facebook post, that Archbishop Charles John Brown, the apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, has asked for prayers for the speedy recovery of the Holy Father and for doctors and nurses who are caring for him. Archbishop Advincula asked parishes and communities to gather for holy hours for the healing of the sick, especially the Pope but also any personal intentions.
“Let us unite ourselves in prayer in this trying time for the Church,” the Manila archbishop said.
Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, SAC, the president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, prayed in the Sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Poland in Szczyrk at the image of Our Lady of Consolation, according to a post from the conference.
“As Christians, we know that prayer has great power, that is why we often pray, not only when things are going well, but in a special way when difficulties come, illnesses in the family, because we know that prayer helps,” he said, according to the post.
Knights of Columbus on X invited people to pray the following prayer: “Heavenly Father, we entrust Pope Francis to Your care. Grant him strength of body, peace of mind, and perseverance in spirit. May he be filled with Your grace and guided by Your wisdom as he continues to serve Your Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
St. Augustine’s Seminary of Toronto noted on X that it, too, is “keeping Pope Francis close in prayer.”
“The Ursuline School community joins millions around the world in prayer for Pope Francis,” the girls college prep school in New Rochelle, New York, said in a post on X. “May our collective prayers bring him comfort, strength & healing during this challenging time. May God’s grace surround him & may he feel the support and love from people all over the globe.”