By Mary Kate Krueger
Pope Francis was in critical condition with a respiratory tract infection and other complications. The infection progressed to pneumonia in both lungs.
On Feb. 23, Pope Francis developed a low palette count, and medical professionals were concerned he may face sepsis, which is a blood infection that is a complication of pneumonia.
However, on Feb. 24, the Vatican stated that Pope Francis has slightly improved according to laboratory tests.
He has resumed doing some work despite being ill. He called the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, where he has kept in touch with almost daily since the war.
According to a Time article, the pope’s doctor said, “The complexity of the clinical picture, and the necessary wait for drug therapies to provide some feedback, dictate that the prognosis remains guarded.”
According to The Catholic Company, the Vatican follows a specific protocol following the death of a pope.
Medical professionals confirm the death through medical procedures, and then the pope’s papal signet ring is burned, church flags are lowered, and Catholic communities turn to remembrance and mourning.
Since the pope is considered a spiritual figure in the Catholic church, speaking publicly about his health has been viewed as “profane” in the past. However, the Vatican has broken century-old taboos of not discussing the pope’s health, according to an article published on AOL.
On Feb. 2, two of his doctors reported it was Pope Francis himself who ordered the daily health updates to the public.
The condition of the pope has raised concerns for Catholics in other countries like the UT Catholic organization at The University of Tampa. UT Catholic is a student organization on campus that has masses, adorations, confessions, retreats, and community events for the Catholic population at UTampa.
“Every day we do the prayers of the faithful during the mass service, and we do a fasting group, as our main sole intention for Pope Francis is health,” said Lawton Brinkman, the president of UT Catholic.
“There’s also been a lot of discussion on what happens when the pope dies, who they will select to become the next pope, and what happens during that interim period,” said Brinkman.
If the pope does die, the Roman Catholic Church will have a “conclave,” which is an assembly of cardinals for the election of a pope.
“All the cardinals under 80 go into the sistine chapel where they vote, generally around four times a day, and this is a lot of political movement,” said Brinkman.
“When I was visiting Rome, I was able to see Pope Francis in person during a service, which makes the possibility of his death more disappointing,” said Brianna Graham, a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Tampa.
The most recent update of the pope’s condition was released on March 1, at 1 p.m., stating that he is resting and drinking coffee the morning after a sudden respiratory episode, according to CNN.
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Photo courtesy of Lon Thein (Wikimedia Commons).