Pope Francis has been hospitalized to a Rome hospital for testing and treatment for his ongoing bronchitis, according to the Vatican.
The 88-year-old, who has been breathless in recent days since being diagnosed last Thursday and has delegated reading of his remarks to officials, was admitted following his morning audiences, according to the statement.
“This morning, at the end of his audiences, Pope Francis was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still ongoing, in a hospital environment,” a statement said.
The Pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has long struggled with health issues, particularly protracted spells of acute bronchitis in the winter.
Earlier this month, Francis informed pilgrims at a weekly audience that he was suffering from a’strong cold,’ which the Vatican eventually diagnosed as bronchitis.
Since his diagnosis, Francis has seemed bloated, indicating that the medication he was taking to treat the lung infection was causing him to retain water.
He has been hospitalized to the hospital several times in recent years, including surgery in 2021 to treat a painful ailment called diverticulitis and again in 2023 to repair a hernia.
Francis has remained very active in recent months despite his age and health issues, finishing a four-nation trip in September that was the longest of his papacy in terms of duration and distance.
The Holy See said that the pope hurt his right arm in a fall at his Santa Marta home last month, but added that he did not sustain any fractures.
“I am well,” Pope Francis said in January. “The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs.”
He said it was “embarrassing at first to have to use a wheelchair, but old age never arrives by itself, and it must be accepted for what it is.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
