According to Vatican sources, pope Francis spent the night in the hospital in Rome, where he will be treated for a respiratory illness.
Pope Francis spent the night in a hospital in Rome, where he will be treated for a respiratory illness, according to the Vatican, on Thursday.
A spokesman originally stated that the pontiff was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday for previously scheduled tests, but a later statement disclosed that Francis had complained of "breathing difficulties" in previous days.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni's tests revealed a respiratory infection, not Covid-19, necessitating "a few days of appropriate inpatient medical treatment."According to a Vatican source, the Pope's meetings for Thursday morning have been cancelled.
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Francis' admission, which caused a score of journalists to camp outside the medical facility in Rome on Wednesday night, occurred just a few weeks after he celebrated a decade as Pope. It also falls just before Holy Week and Easter, the two most significant Christian holidays. Francis has been confined to a wheelchair for the past year due to chronic knee discomfort.
His postponement of a planned trip to Africa and other events at home last year sparked rumours about his health, and he admitted in a July 2022 interview that he wanted to slow down.
The Pope looked in good spirits during his weekly congregation at the Vatican on Wednesday morning, smiling as he welcomed the faithful from his "popemobile."
However, he was seen grinning as he was helped into the vehicle. Francis was admitted to the same Rome hospital in July 2021 for a 10-day colon operation after suffering from a variety of diverticulitis, which is the inflammation of pockets that form in the lining of the intestine.
