STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Pope Francis is still in a hospital in Rome where he's been for three weeks with pneumonia in both lungs.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Joining us now to talk about the pope's health prognosis and how the Catholic Church has been running during his illness is Claire Giangrave, the Vatican correspondent for Religion News Service. So, Claire, what are the pope's doctors saying about his health situation as of right now?
CLAIRE GIANGRAVE: Well, Pope Francis has been undergoing an antibiotic therapy for pneumonia in both lungs. And he receives high-flow oxygen during the day. But at night, he has mechanical ventilation, which essentially means there's a mask over his mouth and nose to ensure there's enough oxygen going through his body. The Vatican has made a point of saying every day that the pope remains conscious, alert and vigilant. But given the 88-year-old pontiff's age and also his medical background, the prognosis remains guarded at this stage, and his situation is critical.
MARTÍNEZ: OK, so who's running the church then while the pope is in the hospital?
GIANGRAVE: Well, Pope Francis is absolutely still in charge. But obviously, he can't oversee the day-to-day operations from the hospital, which means that his No. 2 official at the Vatican, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and other close collaborators are stepping in. They're going into the hospital at times to meet with the pope person to person. But big decisions are still landing on the pope's desk, and he has not ceded responsibility in any public way, at least that we know of. Every day, he still continues his routine of calling the parish of the Holy Family in Gaza and showing how much he cares about the conflict and the Holy Land. But obviously, there's some days, even the Vatican says, when the pope mostly stays in bed, and he tries to rest and collect his strength.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, sure, understandable. Pope Francis' predecessor famously resigned, the first to do so in centuries. Is resignation a possibility for Pope Francis?
GIANGRAVE: Over the years, Pope Francis has given mixed messages regarding the possibility of resigning. So while on countless occasions in books and interviews he has said that if he felt that he could no longer perform the duties of a pontiff, he would agree to step down. And he has also written a letter of resignation saying what would happen if he were to do that. He said that he would go and hear confessions in his favorite basilica in Rome. He also said, just as recently as 2022, that he really thinks that the pope's ministry is ad vitam. That means for life. And he sees no reason why it shouldn't be that way. For people who know Pope Francis, who have watched him closely, they know that he won't take the decision of stepping down lightly, and that if he has the strength to continue, then he will.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, there is a lot going on in the Catholic Church's calendar right now. We're in the season of Lent. Easter is approaching. So how is the pope's illness affecting the church's plans for their most important part of the year?
GIANGRAVE: Yes, Pope Francis has had to cancel many appointments in the past three weeks. And this is an important time, as you said. Not only has Lent begun and Ash Wednesday celebrations, which will lead all the way to Easter. But Pope Francis himself declared 2025 a Jubilee Year, a celebration where millions of Catholics and pilgrims are expected to come to the Eternal City. And part of the reason is to catch a glimpse of the pope. So the Vatican and Pope Francis are considering the logistical headache of what will happen if the Easter celebrations during a Jubilee Year will happen without Pope Francis.
MARTÍNEZ: That's Claire Giangrave, Vatican correspondent for Religion News Service. Claire, thank you.
GIANGRAVE: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
