The Vatican announced on Wednesday that Pope Francis has been admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome due to a respiratory infection. The 86-year-old pontiff had been experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days and was brought to the hospital for a medical check. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni confirmed that the result of the tests showed a respiratory infection, excluding COVID-19 infections, which will require several days of appropriate hospital treatment.
Bruni also stated that the pope is grateful for the many messages of support and prayer he has received. The pope’s schedule for Thursday and Friday has been cancelled, and it remains unclear when he will return to the Vatican. Palm Sunday and Holy Week celebrations leading up to Easter are scheduled to take place next week.
The Argentine-born leader of the Roman Catholic Church held his weekly general audience on St Peter’s Square in front of thousands of believers on Wednesday morning before being taken to the hospital by ambulance. He was scheduled to give a television interview afterward but had to cancel due to his condition.
Medical sources have stated that overall, the situation should not be of particular concern. The pope already had a chest CT scan, and his blood’s saturation levels were fine. No heart problems have been detected.
This is not the first time that Pope Francis has been admitted to Gemelli Hospital. In July 2021, he underwent intestinal surgery at the same hospital and spent 11 days there recovering. In a recent interview, he indicated that he was again having trouble with his intestines. The pope has also been suffering from severe knee problems for more than a year, which often require him to use a wheelchair.
Despite his knee problems, Pope Francis has so far declined to undergo surgery on his knee, reportedly in part because he did not react well to anesthesia during the previous operation. It is unclear whether his current respiratory infection is related to his previous health issues.
Television news crews, reporters, and press photographers were posted outside the hospital on Wednesday evening, where they watched the room on the 10th floor where the pontiff is staying. The pope’s hospitalization has sparked concern and well-wishes from around the world, with many offering prayers for his speedy recovery.
In conclusion, Pope Francis has been admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome due to a respiratory infection that will require several days of appropriate treatment. While his schedule for the next few days has been cancelled, it remains unclear when he will return to the Vatican. The pope’s hospitalization has sparked concern and well-wishes from around the world, with many offering prayers for his speedy recovery.