Pope Francis was seriously ill and his lungs were diagnosed with pneumonia.
Nigeria News Nalin The Vatican said Tuesday that Pope Francis, who had pneumonia in his two lungs last week, said Tuesday that he added that the 88-year-old was in a “good spirit”.
“Laboratory testing, chest X-rays and the clinical status of the Holy Father continue to present a complex image,” the Vatican said in a statement.
Francis was taken to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Friday with bronchitis, but the Vatican said on Monday that his treatment is being changed after testing.
It said on Tuesday that “multibiological infections” are “bronchidosis and asthmatic bronchitis and require antibiotic therapy for cocoa, which makes the treatment more complicated”.
“A follow-up chest CT scan performed by the Holy Father this afternoon indicated a bilateral onset of pneumonia and needed further medication,” it said.
The pope had a part of his right lung after 21-year-old pleural disease almost killed him.
The Vatican has canceled the pope audience on Saturday and said he will not attend Mass on Sunday, although the Vatican has not announced the weekly Angelus prayer program on Sunday.
It added: “Nevertheless, Pope Francis is inspiring.”
The Vatican said the pope spent his fifth day in the hospital, resuming rest with prayers and reading texts.
– Pilgrim prayer –
Francis, who has been head of the Catholic Church since 2013, was taken to the hospital after struggling for a few days and read his text in public.
This is a series of health problems for the Jesuits, who has undergone hernia and colon surgery since 2021 and has been in a wheelchair due to knee pain.
Among the pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday, many said they were praying for the pope’s recovery.
“I hope he will get better soon,” Birgit Jungreuthmayer, 48, an Austrian tourist, told AFP.
Others gathered outside Jegley Hospital, holding candles or saying prayers.
“I began to pray for the Pope so that he could recover soon,” said Jacqueline Troncoso, a Bolivian resident.
The Vatican made drawings for Francis’ children in the hospital and letters from his parents asking him to pray for their sick offspring.
“Thanks to him for his current intimacy and continue to pray for him with a grateful heart,” said Francis.
– Positive timeline –
Despite the health troubles Francis is still a very active pope, busy weekly and regular overseas trips.
In September 2024, he completed the Asia-Pacific tour of four countries, which was the longest duration and distance of his Pope.
A source with the Pope’s entourage told AFP on Monday that Francis was admitted after a “very busy” two weeks, during which “he was weakened,” but insisted on without warning.
Francis held a mass from the hospital’s television last Sunday and sent a written address for Angelus.
“I wanted to be among you, but, as you know, I’m in the Gemelli Hospital because I still need to treat bronchitis,” Francis wrote.
If the Jesus could not perform his duties, the Jesuits could resign.
His predecessor, Benedict XVI, became the first pope to resign since the Middle Ages in 2013, citing his health.
But in a memoir published last year, Francis wrote that he “had not been serious enough to make me want to quit.”
He wrote that resignation was a “distant possibility” and was only reasonable in the case of “severe physical disorder”.
In his autobiography published last month, he said, despite the illness, “I continue.”
“The reality is, I’m old,” he said.
