ROME (AP) 鈥� is recovering well from pneumonia and a 鈥渘ew stage鈥� in his pontificate is opening, two of his closest advisers said Friday, offering notes of optimism as the 88-year-old pontiff hit the five-week mark in .
Archbishop Edgar Pe帽a Parra told The Associated Press that he had found Francis in good humor and serene during the three times he has visited the pope at the in Rome.
Pe帽a Parra, who is the Vatican chief of staff, visited Francis on Feb. 24, March 2 and March 9 along with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the lone Vatican officials who have called on him aside from his personal secretaries.
鈥淭he pope will recover," Pe帽a Parra said on the sidelines of a book launch. 鈥淭he pope is . The doctors say that he needs some time, but it鈥檚 going well progressively."
鈥淚 found him well, serene, in good humor, and 鈥� just like him 鈥� tough with the desire to go forward,鈥� he said.
The Vatican press office reported Friday that Francis' overall condition remained stable, with slight improvements as he continues respiratory and physical physiotherapy. He was continuing to reduce his reliance on high-flow supplemental oxygen he has needed to breathe during the day and no longer needs the mechanical ventilation mask at night.
In other comments Friday, another top friend and ally of the pope, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fern谩ndez, said that 鈥渁 new stage鈥� was opening in Francis鈥� 12-year pontificate and that he expects some surprises from the pontiff when he's released.
Fern谩ndez, the Argentine theologian who Francis brought in as the Vatican鈥檚 doctrine chief, said that he had been in touch with Francis since his Feb. 14 hospitalization and was heartened that he had stabilized. He provided no time frame on when Francis might be released, but ruled out any thought that he might resign.
He said that he understood that Francis was responding well to treatment, but that doctors were keeping him at the hospital 鈥渢o be 100%.鈥� He said that Francis needed rehabilitation therapy to help him regain strength to speak after so many weeks on noninvasive mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen.
Fern谩ndez revealed that Francis had resisted going to the hospital when his bronchitis worsened, and only agreed to go after people close to him threatened to quit if he didn鈥檛.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what swear words they used (to tell him) you have to go there, otherwise we go home and end our relationship here,鈥� he said.
As a result, he said he knew that the hospitalization had been hard on Francis and had surely made him reflect.
鈥淚 think a new stage is opening for him. He is a man of surprises, who will surely have learned so many things in this month and he鈥檒l pull who knows what out of the hat,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o even knowing that this has been a very heavy effort for him, a difficult time, I know it will be fruitful for the church and for the world.鈥�
Francis hit the five-week mark in his hospitalization Friday. He was admitted Feb. 14 with a bad case of bronchitis that developed into a complex lung infection and double pneumonia. He has long battled respiratory illnesses and had part of one lung removed when he was a young man. He has admitted to being a bad patient and is a known workaholic.
鈥淗e wants to spend what little time he has left and says 鈥業 want to use it and not to take care of myself,鈥欌�� Fern谩ndez said. 鈥淎nd then what happens? He comes back here and it鈥檚 not easy for him to follow the advice鈥� of doctors.
That might change after this experience, he said.
鈥淗e has to certainly change, but I can't say what those details might be,鈥� he said.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Nicole Winfield And Paolo Santalucia, The Associated Press
