 "Parishioners pray for the health of Pope Francis at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. Image- AP")
Pope Francis suffered a bronchial spasm Friday that resulted in him breathing in vomit, requiring non-invasive mechanical ventilation, but he responded well and remained conscious and alert at all times, the Vatican said.
The episode, reported late Friday by the Vatican, resulted in doctors keeping his prognosis from a two-week battle with double pneumonia as guarded.
Prayers continued to pour in
In Mexico City, a few dozen people gathered Thursday night at the cathedral to pray for Francis’ recovery.
“He is like part of the family,” said Araceli Gutiérrez, who treasures the time she saw the pope during his trip to the country of nearly 100 million Catholics in 2016. “That’s why we feel so concerned for him.”
María Teresa Sánchez, who was visiting from Colombia with her sister, said that she has always felt close to Francis — the first Latin American pope.
“That’s like having a relative within the higher-ups, with God,” she said. “He has done so much for religion; he’s such a humble person.”