Pope Francis is in critical condition, Vatican says

Pope Francis (Courtesy: Reuters photo)

Pope Francis is in critical condition after suffering a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis Saturday morning.

The pontiff required high flows of oxygen and also received a blood transfusion after tests showed conditions associated with anemia, the Vatican said in a statement late Saturday. He isn’t out of danger.

While Francis was in more pain than the day before, he remains alert and spent the day in his armchair, according to the statement. At the moment, the prognosis is “reserved,” it added.

The statement signaled an apparent setback in the 88-year-old pontiff’s weeklong battle with pneumonia. Doctors said on Friday the pope’s condition poses no immediate threat to his life, though he remains at risk, adding that he will remain hospitalized for at least another week.

Francis was hospitalized after what doctors called an increasingly complex health issue. The Vatican said he was suffering from pneumonia in both lungs and that medical staff had altered his drug regimen to battle the infection.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Francis has been the spiritual leader of the world’s Roman Catholics since 2013. He’s the first pope from the Americas and the first non-European pontiff since the 8th century.