Pope Francis shows further improvement, no longer has kidney issue, Vatican says

Pope Francis has shown a "further, slight improvement" in his medical condition, the Vatican said on Wednesday, in a sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia. (Reuters/File)
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  • The pope is spending his 13th night at Rome鈥檚 Gemelli hospital
  • 鈥淭he clinical condition of the Holy Father in the last 24 hours has shown a further, slight improvement,鈥� the latest detailed health update read

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has shown a 鈥渇urther, slight improvement鈥� in his medical condition, the Vatican said on Wednesday, in a sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia.
The pope is spending his 13th night at Rome鈥檚 Gemelli hospital, the longest hospital stay of his nearly 12-year-old papacy.
鈥淭he clinical condition of the Holy Father in the last 24 hours has shown a further, slight improvement,鈥� the latest detailed health update read.
The pope, it said, is continuing to receive oxygen but has not experienced any further respiratory crises. A CT scan of his chest, performed on Tuesday, 鈥渟howed a normal evolution鈥� of the inflammation in his lungs, it added.
Over the weekend, the Vatican said the pontiff had shown a 鈥渕ild kidney insufficiency,鈥� raising fears he might be about to suffer kidney failure. On Wednesday, it said the issue had been 鈥渞esolved.鈥�
The statement did not specify whether the pope was still considered to be in critical condition, as he has been listed since Saturday. Despite the pope鈥檚 improvements, it said his prognosis was still 鈥済uarded.鈥�
A Vatican official, who did not wish to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the pope鈥檚 condition, said earlier on Wednesday that Francis was alert through the day and was able to eat normally and move about his hospital room.

ARGENTINIANS IN ROME PRAY FOR POPE
Francis, who has been pope since 2013, is originally from Argentina and is the first Catholic pontiff from the Americas. On Tuesday evening, many in Rome鈥檚 Argentinian community gathered at the Our Lady of Sorrows Church to pray for him.
鈥淲e pray for his health, that he can continue to govern the Church,鈥� said Reverend Mario Aler, who referred to the ongoing 2025 Catholic Holy Year.
鈥�(Francis) should continue to accompany this important event for the whole Church,鈥� he said.
Paraguay鈥檚 ambassador to the Vatican, Romina Taboada Tonina, who was attending the service, called the pope 鈥渁 great leader, without a doubt.鈥�
鈥淣ot only for Catholics, but he is a great political leader as well,鈥� she said.
At the Vatican on Tuesday evening, for the second day running, hundreds gathered in St. Peter鈥檚 Square for a prayer vigil attended by pilgrims and senior Church figures. The service is being repeated daily this week.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection of both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe. The Vatican has said the pope鈥檚 infection is 鈥渃omplex,鈥� and caused by two or more microorganisms.
Francis has suffered several bouts of ill health over the past two years. He is prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
Francis has been working occasionally from the hospital as Vatican business
continues apace during his illness. The Vatican announced several new appointments on Wednesday that would have needed the pope鈥檚 approval.