Pope Francis

People attend a rosary prayer service held for the health of Pope Francis in St Peter's Square at The Vatican, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Pope Francis shows slight improvement and resumes some work, while still critical, Vatican says

The Vatican says Pope Francis remains in critical condition but has shown slight improvement in laboratory tests.
 
Sunlight filtering through a window illuminates the statue of Catholic Saint Giuliana Falconieri during a mass for the Jubilee of Deacons in St. Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, that was supposed to be presided over by Pope Francis who was admitted over a week ago at Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic and is in critical condition. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

What happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church when a pope becomes sick or incapacitated?

 
A nuns prays for Pope Francis in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert as prayers pour in

 
Faithful pray for Pope Francis' health during a Mass at the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Argentina prays for native son Francis, the first Latin American pope in history

 
Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow

 

Argentines gather to pray for Pope Francis’ recovery

Hundreds of Argentines gathered in a central square in Buenos Aires Monday to pray for Pope Francis’s health and recovery. (AP Video by Cristian Kovadloff)
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Faithful at vigil in St. Peter’s Square send best wishes to Pope Francis as he battles pneumonia

Students, nuns, faithful gather outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital to pray for Pope Francis

Pope Francis shows slight improvement and resumes some work, while still critical, Vatican says

From the archive

The AP sat down for a lengthy interview with Pope Francis in 2023

Pope Francis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and he himself referred to homosexuality in terms of "sin." But he attributed attitudes to culture backgrounds, and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

The AP Interview: Pope says homosexuality not a crime

Pope Francis has criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are.
 
Pope Francis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at The Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. According to the pope, the arms industry has brought untold death and destruction to the world. “The world is obsessed with weapons,” he said. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

The AP Interview takeaways: Pope decries expanding gun use

 
Pope Francis pauses during an interview with The Associated Press at The Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. Francis acknowledged the Catholic Church still had a long way to go to deal with the problem, saying transparency was still lacking about how cases are resolved and that the church must speak out more about the abuse of “vulnerable adults.” (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope opens up on sex abuse cases, says church must do more

 
Pope Francis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at The Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. Pope Francis on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, said there's a risk that what could be a trailblazing reform process in the German church could become "ideological." (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope warns German church reform process elitist, ideological

 
Pope Francis pauses during an interview with The Associated Press at The Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. Pope Francis said he hasn't even considered issuing norms to regulate future papal resignations and says he plans to continue on for as long as he can as bishop of Rome, despite a wave of attacks against him by some top-ranked cardinals and bishops. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope discusses his health, his critics and future of papacy

 

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People attend a rosary prayer service held for the health of Pope Francis in St Peter's Square at The Vatican, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Pope continues recovery, sleeps well as Vatican launches marathon prayers and allies cheer him on

 
People walk outside St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Thousands gather outside the Vatican to pray for Pope Francis’ health

 
Timothee Chalamet accepts the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role for "A Complete Unknown" during the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

‘Conclave’ triumphs at SAG Awards and Timothée Chalamet wins best actor, upending Oscar predictions

 
Surgeon Sergio Alfieri, right, and Pope Francis personal doctor Luigi Carboni speak to journalists, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in the entrance hall of Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic where Pope Francis is being treated for pneumonia. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis isn’t out of danger but his condition isn’t life-threatening, medical team says

 
People walk in front of the main entrance of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Vatican says Pope Francis is ‘improving slightly’ as cardinals acknowledge resignation is possible

 
Candles with the pictures of Pope Francis are the laid under the statue of late Pope John Paul II outside Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Vatican authorities say the pope now has pneumonia in both lungs. How worrying is that?

 
Candles with the pictures of Pope Francis are the laid under the statue of late Pope John Paul II outside Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Italy PM Meloni visits pope in hospital, says he’s in good spirits as tests show slight improvement

 
A rainbow shines over the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, where Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday, Feb. 14, after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened and is receiving drug therapy for a respiratory tract infection. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

The pope has pneumonia in both lungs but remains in good spirits, the Vatican says

 
Nuns sit next to a statue of Pope John Paul II in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, where Pope Francis has been hospitalized to undergo some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his ongoing treatment for bronchitis. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Vatican says the pope has a ‘polymicrobial respiratory tract infection.’ What is that?

 
Nuns sit next to a statue of Pope John Paul II in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, where Pope Francis has been hospitalized to undergo some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his ongoing treatment for bronchitis. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope will remain hospitalized as doctors treat a complex respiratory tract infection, Vatican says

 
A woman kneels at the foot of a statue of late Pope John Paul II outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, where Pope Francis was hospitalised Friday after a week-long bout of bronchitis worsened and is receiving drug therapy for a respiratory tract infection that made impossible for him to attend the traditional Sunday public blessing after the noon Angelus prayer. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope is stable, followed Mass on television as he recovers from respiratory infection, Vatican says

 
FILE— In this Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021 file photo, Pope Francis shakes hands with Sister Raffaella Petrini, secretary general of the Vatican's governorship, as he arrives for an audience with employees in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Another woman takes over a top job at the Vatican, this time running the city state administration

 
A marble statue of late Pope John Paul II is backdropped by the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, where Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened and is receiving drug therapy for a respiratory tract infection. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Doctors order ‘absolute rest’ for Pope Francis while he’s being treated for a respiratory infection

 
Pope Francis autographs a bottle of bourbon held by Kentucky Catholic priest Rev. Jim Sichko at the Vatican on May 1, 2024. (Courtesy Vatican Media via AP)

Kentucky bourbon bottles signed by the pope raise thousands for charity

 
Pope Francis meets with Czech Republic's Prime Minister Robert Fico, right, and his entourage at The Vatican Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

A look at Pope Francis’ previous hospitalizations and health problems

 
Pope Francis meets with Czech Republic's Prime Minister Robert Fico, right, at The Vatican Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

Pope has respiratory tract infection, is in fair condition and running mild fever, Vatican says

 
Sitting against a backdrop depicting St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, Archbishop of Trujillo Hector Miguel Cabrejos, left, along with Pope Francis, listen to welcome message at the St. Carlos and Marcelo College in Trujillo, Peru, Jan. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

Pope Francis accepts the resignation of a Peruvian bishop accused of ignoring abuse

 
Pope Francis presides over a mass for the jubilee of the armed forces in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Sunday Feb.9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope rebukes Trump administration over immigrant deportations and appears to aim directly at Vance

 
Cardinal Michael Czerny meets with journalists at the Vatican press hall, in Rome, on March 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

Vatican charity says Trump administration’s gutting of USAID is ‘reckless’ and could kill millions

 
Pope prays as he presides over a mass for the jubilee of the armed forces in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Sunday Feb.9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis reminds armed forces only to act for defense and always respect international laws

 
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re celebrates the funeral mass for late Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes in the Basilica of St. Peter at The Vatican, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

With Oscar-nominee ‘Conclave’ piquing interest, pope keeps dean of the College of Cardinals in place

 
Pope Francis' aide leans down to pick up the the handle of the Pope's walking stick after it snapped as he was arriving for a Jubilee audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis stumbles while walking into Jubilee audience at the Vatican as his walking stick snaps

 
Faithful leave St. Peter's Basilica at the end of a mass presided by Pope Francis at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

New Vatican document offers AI guidelines from warfare to health care

 
Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis warns of ‘scourge of antisemitism’ ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day

 
Archbishop of Lima Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne celebrates a Mass, Jan. 18, 2001 in Lima, Peru. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File)

Vatican says sanctions still in effect against Opus Dei cardinal following sex abuse allegations

 
Leslie Voltaire, the president of Haiti's Transition Council, talks during an interview with the Associated Press in Rome, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Haitian leader says the Trump administration’s plans will be ‘catastrophic’ for his country

 
Archbishop of Lima Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne celebrates a Mass, Jan. 18, 2001 in Lima, Peru. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File)

Opus Dei cardinal acknowledges Vatican sanctioned him after abuse allegation but denies wrongdoing

 
Aline Minani holds a photo of Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, a Congolese man killed for fighting corruption in 2007, and whose beatification was approved by Pope Francis, in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Killed for fighting corruption, a Congolese man made a martyr is inspiring a new generation

 
Pope Francis holds his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

‘My heart is with LA': Pope prays for people of Los Angeles as they endure wildfires

 
Vatican investigators Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, right, from Spain, and Archbishop Charles Scicluna, from Malta, walk outside of the Nunciatura Apostolica during a break from meeting with people alleged abused by the Catholic lay group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, in Lima, Peru, on July 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File)

Pope dissolves Peru-based conservative Catholic movement after abuses uncovered by Vatican