Pope Francis, who was taken to hospital on Friday for remedy of bronchitis, is affected by a respiratory an infection however is in a secure situation, the Vatican mentioned.
“The Holy Father … has undergone specialist examinations and has began hospital drug remedy,” mentioned an announcement, issued about eight hours after the pope was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
“The preliminary checks confirmed a respiratory tract an infection,” it mentioned. “His scientific situation is truthful; he has a slight fever.”
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni mentioned the pope was serene and in good spirits, and had learn a couple of newspapers.
Francis, 88, has been affected by bronchitis for greater than every week.
The Vatican mentioned earlier on Friday that the pope would skip a number of deliberate public occasions over the following three days as he recovers in hospital.
Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and different well being issues a number of occasions over the previous two years. As a younger grownup he developed a case of pleurisy and had a part of one in all his lungs eliminated, and in current occasions he has been liable to lung infections.
Earlier this month, Francis informed pilgrims at a weekly viewers that he was affected by a “sturdy chilly,” which the Vatican later described as bronchitis.
The pope held a number of conferences on Friday earlier than going to hospital. One was with Mark Thompson, CEO of the CNN information channel. The pope was “mentally alert however struggling to talk for prolonged intervals as a result of respiration difficulties,” CNN later reported.
The pope additionally held conferences with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, senior Vatican official Cardinal Luis Tagle, and with a Catholic philanthropy group that’s primarily based in Puerto Rico.
Video of the pope’s assembly with Fico confirmed Francis sitting at a desk in his Vatican residence, smiling, and talking in a comfortable tone.
Francis has been struggling with respiratory points since mid-December. He begged off studying statements at a number of of his public occasions in January and February, attending the events however asking aides to learn his ready remarks.
The pope additionally had two falls not too long ago at his Vatican residence, bruising his chin in December and injuring his arm in January.
Regardless of his periodic well being points and decreased mobility, Francis has stored up a busy schedule, together with overseas journey. In September he accomplished a 12-day tour throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania, the longest of his papacy.
Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the biggest within the metropolis, has a particular suite for treating popes. Francis spent 9 days there in June 2023, when he had surgical procedure to restore an stomach hernia.
