The bishop has been hospitalized with pneumonia since February.
Pope Francis’ condition has improved, and he no longer needs a mechanical ventilator to help him breathe at night, the Vatican said on March 19th.
The 88-year-old bishop has been hospitalized at Gemeri Hospital in Rome for nearly five weeks after being diagnosed with a complex pulmonary infection that developed pneumonia in both lungs. The infection required evolving treatment, including the use of non-invasive mechanical ventilation.
The Pope’s doctors say his pulmonary infection is under control, but they have not been completely ruled out, the press said. He added that his blood test results are in normal range and that he continues to develop a fever.
“This morning, in the silence of the Holy Father, St. Joseph, the Holy Father, enveloped the Mass,” the press added.
According to the press, he spent the day undergoing treatment, praying and working.
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There has been no decision yet on whether Francis will preside over the liturgy during Holy Week.
Francis tends to suffer from pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. Because he had cut his chest as a young man who needed to remove a part of one lung.
He is undergoing respiratory therapy to assist with breathing and physical therapy to improve his mobility. In recent years he has been using a wheelchair due to tension ligaments in his right knee and a small fracture of his knee.
It added that he used “high-flow oxygen therapy, which frequently used nasal cancer,” and sometimes did not require oxygen therapy.
Francis officially launched the Pope on March 17, 2013. His hospitalization has not made public his longest absence ever since.
Matarera offered to the fullest extent his desire for the continued “heartfelt wish for a rapid recovery.”
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to the report.
