Pope Francis remains in a critical condition with respiratory and kidney problems, more than a week after being admitted to hospital, the Vatican has announced. According to a statement released on Monday morning, the Pope had a good night’s rest and is currently resting.

The Vatican statement said, “The night went well, the Pope slept and is resting.” This update comes after Sunday’s statement revealed that the Pope was still receiving high-flow oxygen therapy and had undergone blood transfusions. Blood tests also showed that he had “initial, mild, renal insufficiency” – a kidney problem – that is “currently under control”.

The Pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days. He was initially treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs. On Sunday, the Pope’s thrombocytopenia – a condition characterized by low platelet count in the blood – was stable, the statement said.

The Pope participated in the Holy Mass on Sunday morning, together with those taking care of him during his hospital stay. The Vatican did not offer a prognosis, citing the “complexity of the clinical picture”.

On Saturday, the Vatican announced that the Pope had experienced a respiratory crisis and was in a “critical” condition. However, a later update on Sunday revealed that he had “not presented any further respiratory crises”.

Earlier on Sunday, the Pope issued a statement asking Catholics to pray for him, as he was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second consecutive week. The pontiff is particularly susceptible to pneumonia due to his medical history, having contracted pleurisy as a young man and undergoing a partial lung removal.

This is not the Pope’s first hospitalization, as he has been admitted multiple times during his 12-year tenure, including being treated for bronchitis at the same hospital in March 2023.