The pope is not out of danger and
knows his situation is serious as he battles pneumonia but he is
not in a life-threatening condition and is still in such good
spirits that he cracks jokes about his situation, the head of
his medical team at a Rome hospital said Friday.
"The pope is not out of danger," said Professor Sergio Alfieri
in a press briefing at the Gemelli Hospital.
"But his life is not in danger now," he said, adding "today he
went to the chapel to pray" and saying "he's in good spirits and
makes quips" about his health.
"The Pope is in a good mood and makes jokes. The other day I
said to him: 'Good morning Holy Father.' And he replied: 'Good
morning holy son. Just to say."
"The chronic disease remains, the Pope knows it, he said 'I
realize that the situation is serious'", "sometimes he is short
of breath and the sensation is not pleasant for anyone".
Alfieri said the pope would stay in hospital at least for the
next week.
He said Francis is not attached to any machine to help him
breathe.
"When he has to he inserts his nostrils for a bit of oxygen, but
he's breathing on his own and feedim himself".
He added that Francis had "always wanted us to tell the truth"
about his condition in his medical bulletins.
Another doctor, Luigi Carbone, told the briefing that "we must
be focused on overcoming this phase here.
"We can see the Holy Father's grit, he's not someone who gives
up".
The pope has a lung infection and the real danger is his
contracting sepsis, Alfieri went on.
"The Pope has a lung infection and iIf by chance one of these
germs were to pass into the blood, there would be sepsis", "the
real risk is if the germs pass into the blood. Today there are
no such germs in the blood, the infection is now only in the
lung.
"This is the real risk that a person of his age can run", he
added, referring to the hypothesis of sepsis.
The infection "is contained for the moment", added Dr. Carbone.
"We have also reduced some drugs", underlined Alfieri.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
