Pope Francis is now in "critical condition," the Vatican has confirmed. The news comes amid a health scare for the religious leader who was said to be improving yesterday.
However, a statement from Vatican officials said: "The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved."
Earlier, doctors said that Pope Francis was battling a pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalized for at least another week.
It was first reported reported late Monday evening that the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church had been hospitalised, after being told he'd run the risk of dying if he stayed put at the Vatican. It was said Francis has been suffering from intense pain in recent days, and has been looking to put his affairs in order "ahead of the battle to succeed him".
The Vatican confirmed on Tuesday that fresh tests have diagnosed Francis with bilateral pneumonia, and he is also taking cortisone and an antibiotic for asthmatic bronchitis.
It said: “Laboratory tests, a chest X-ray, and the Holy Father’s clinical condition continue to present a complex picture.”
A spate of public event cancellations has accompanied the Pope's illness, with the latest announcement from the Vatican revealing his incapability to meet his commitments this coming weekend.
Politico reported that Francis was “distressed” when he was forbidden by medical professionals to perform the weekly Angelus sermon on Sunday, but has since relented and is now following doctors’ orders.
Francis has led the Roman Catholic Church since 2013, and won praise in progressive quarters for making the Church more inclusive in rhetoric and practice.
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