Pope Francis remains critical and has ‘slight’ kidney issue, Vatican says

Pope Francis, battling double pneumonia, remains in a critical condition for a second day running and has shown an “initial, slight insufficiency” in his kidney function, the Vatican said on Sunday.

The prognosis for the 88-year-old pope, who required a transfusion of two units of blood on Saturday after experiencing a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis,” remains “guarded,” according to the latest medical update.

Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14. The Vatican first described his condition as critical on Saturday.