The Pope has been hospitalized in Rome since Wednesday.
Pope Francis, who is hospitalized in Rome, is suffering from a respiratory infection and will remain hospitalized for “a few days,” the Holy See announced Wednesday, March 29, earlier in the evening. The investigations “have revealed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require medical attention in hospital for a few days,” according to a press release.
The Vatican initially announced Francis’ hospitalization at noon, citing “scheduled investigations”. “In the last few days, Pope Francis has had breathing difficulties and this afternoon he was taken to the Polyclinic A. Gemelli for medical examinations,” said the spokesman for the Holy See Matteo Bruni in the evening.
The Vatican has not said whether the pope will be able to lead Palm Sunday Mass or the celebrations planned for Holy Week and Easter.
A major operation in 2021
In the morning, the Argentine Pope, who celebrated the 10th anniversary of his pontificate in mid-March, took part in the weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, as he does every Wednesday, where he appeared smiling and greeted the supporters of his “popemobile”. .
François, who has been in a wheelchair since May 2022 because of chronic knee pain, had already been hospitalized for 10 days in July 2021 at the Gemelli Hospital for major intestinal surgery. In an interview in January, he hinted that his problems with the inflammation of the diverticula – hernias, or pockets that form on the walls of the digestive tract – had returned.
Jorge Bergoglio explained that he was experiencing “after effects” from the anesthetic at the time of this procedure, leading him to rule out the possibility of knee surgery so far.
A Daily “Personal Health Assistant”
His knee pain, which notably forced him to cancel several dates in 2022 and postpone a trip to Africa, is at the heart of speculation about a possible resignation. He always left the door open to this scenario, like his predecessor Benedict XVI, who left office and surprised the whole world.
In July, François had confided that he “can no longer travel at the same pace” as before, even mentioning the possibility of “putting himself aside”. But in February he ruled that forgoing a pope “should not become a trend” and made sure that the hypothesis was “not on his agenda for the time being”.
Caregivers follow him constantly, both at the Vatican and during his trips abroad, but his recent health problems have prompted him to officially create a new role, that of “personal health assistant”.