Major update on Pope’s medical condition after falling ill last week

Pope Francis’ is battling a ‘complex and clinical’ medical condition that will require further hospital treatment, the Vatican said. The Pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday after suffering from a ‘polymicrobial respiratory tract infection’. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the results of tests indicate the 88-year-old Pope will require extensive drug therapy and an ‘appropriate hospital stay’.

There has been no timeframe given for his treatment at this time. Francis was admitted to hospital last week after a bout of bronchitis began to worsen. Doctors confirmed a respiratory tract infection and prescribed ‘absolute rest’ alongside unspecified drug therapies. Subsequent updates said his slight fever had gone away and that he was now in a ‘stable’ condition. The Argentine pope, who had part of one lung removed after a pulmonary infection as a young man, is a known workaholic who keeps up a grueling pace despite his increasingly precarious health which has seen him hospitalised on a number of occasions in recent years.

When he had a bad case of pneumonia in 2023, he left after three days and only acknowledged after the fact that he had been admitted urgently after feeling faint and having a sharp pain in his chest. This time around, Francis insisted on finishing his morning audiences Friday before leaving the Vatican, even though he was having trouble speaking at length because he was short of breath. The Holy See has only confirmed canceled appointments through Monday. Francis was supposed to have gone to Rome’s Cinecitta film studios to meet with artists as part of the Catholic Church’s Holy Year celebrations.

When he missed the Jubilee Mass dedicated to artists this past Sunday, a cardinal stood in for him. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

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