The Pope was on Sunday treated for kidney failure as he remained in a “critical” condition after a ninth night in hospital.
A statement from the Vatican announced that laboratory tests had revealed initial “mild” signs of kidney failure, but doctors were able to get the problem “under control”.
The Pontiff was diagnosed with double pneumonia last week and his health deteriorated sharply on Saturday amid a prolonged respiratory crisis which also involved blood transfusions.
While his blood tests today showed slight improvement in his anaemia, his platelet count remains low and he is now is being treated for a slight renal insufficiency.
A statement by the Vatican said: “The Holy Father’s condition remains critical. However, since yesterday evening he has not had other respiratory crises.”
The Pope’s condition stabilised after he received two units of concentrated red blood cells which resulted in an “increase in the level of haemoglobin”, according to the Vatican.
Anaemia is a blood condition in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen, which can be caused by a lower than usual number of red blood cells.
On Saturday, the Pope was also diagnosed with a condition called thrombocytopenia, in which his blood platelet count is low.
The latest Vatican statement said the Pope was “stable” in spite of the thrombocytopenia.
Pope Francis continues to receive oxygen through the nose, and he is “vigilant and aware”.
The Vatican said that given the complexity of his clinical status and the need to wait to see if the therapies being administered are working, his overall prognosis is still “reserved”, meaning there is a chance he could recover, but they are also unsure whether he will survive.
On Sunday, morning the Pope participated in the celebration of Mass in his apartment on the 10th floor of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he has been receiving treatment since February 14, alongside those who are attending to him.
He was admitted to the Hospital for the treatment of bronchitis which for two weeks had left him breathless and unable to read prepared speeches.
Francis was later diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and the onset of pneumonia in both lungs, with doctors repeatedly calling his overall clinical status “complex.”
Doctors told journalists on Friday that the Pope was “not out of danger” and that his situation remained complicated.
They warned that the main threat Francis faced was the potential onset of sepsis, a serious blood infection that can cause multiple organ failure and kill quickly and which can occur as a complication of pneumonia.
The Pope, 88, suffers from chronic lung disease and is especially prone to bronchitis in winter, having suffered from the condition with increased frequency in the past two years.
On Sunday evening, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar of Rome, celebrated Mass at the Roman Basilica of Saint John Lateran for the Pope’s health, and asked that faithful join or that other Masses be celebrated at the same time.
@The Catholic Herald, excluding headline
