Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Friday to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis, the Vatican said.
“The Holy Father, as a result of the recent exacerbation of bronchitis, has carried out specialized examinations and started a hospital drug therapy,” read a Holy See Press Office statement updating the pope’s condition Friday evening Rome time. “The first examinations performed show a respiratory tract infection. The clinical condition is fair; he presents mild febrile alteration.”
The pope is serene, his mood is good, and he has read a few newspapers, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office.
The 88-year-old pope was hospitalized in the late morning on Feb. 14 following meetings with a number of people, including the prime minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico.
“This morning, at the end of his audiences, Pope Francis will be admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Hospital for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue treatment for bronchitis, that is still ongoing, in a hospital setting,” the Holy See Press Office said in a message sent shortly before 11 a.m. Rome time.
The Vatican said that due to Pope Francis’ hospitalization, his appointments for the following three days were canceled. In particular, he will no longer hold a jubilee audience at the Vatican on Saturday, Feb. 15, or a meeting with artists at the historic Cinecittà film studios south of Rome on Feb. 17.
The pope was also scheduled to participate in a Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture, part of the Church’s wider 2025 Jubilee of Hope. The Vatican said Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, will celebrate the Mass.
Pope Francis has been sick with bronchitis for over a week. On Feb. 6, the Vatican announced the pope would hold most of his meetings that day and the following days in rooms at his Vatican residence in order to rest more.
Despite the illness, which has largely prevented the pontiff from reading his own speeches and homilies, Francis presided at a jubilee Mass for members of the police and armed forces in St. Peter’s Square on Feb. 9 and participated in his weekly general audience on Wednesday.
Pope Francis was also hospitalized for a respiratory infection in March 2023 and canceled a November 2023 trip to Dubai due to a “very acute infectious bronchitis.”
The pope, who has been suffering from visible breathlessness during recent meetings, has more and more frequently declined to read his prepared remarks to audiences or opted to have the remarks read by a priest aide.
He has faced several health challenges in recent years, including knee problems requiring a wheelchair, respiratory infections, and a fall resulting in a forearm contusion.
This story was updated Feb. 14, 2025, at 7:28 p.m. Rome time with the update on the pope’s condition.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
