Pope Francis’ treatment for a respiratory tract infection “will require adequate hospitalisation” to address what the Vatican is now describing as a “complex clinical picture”. Source: NCR Online.
According to a Vatican bulletin released at 1pm local time yesterday, ongoing test results have shown a “polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract”. The statement said that the Pope’s medical team has modified the treatment for the 88-year-old pontiff following the latest developments.
Francis, who has battled bronchitis since the start of the month, was first hospitalised on Friday. In the previous weeks, Francis had been short of breath and struggled to speak during many of his public appearances.
While the Vatican has previously stated that the Pope’s condition has improved since he was first admitted, the latest update indicates the pontiff’s situation remains serious. The Pope’s medical team has ordered complete rest for the octogenarian pontiff.
A Vatican news bulletin released at 7pm last night (Central European Time) said that the Pope remained without fever and that his clinical condition is “stable.” Earlier in the day, the Pope received the Eucharist.
On Sunday, the Pope did not recite his weekly noontime Sunday Angelus prayer, marking only the second time he has missed it during his 12-year pontificate. The last occasion was in 2023, following an operation on his intestine.
Outside of Rome’s Gemelli hospital where Francis is being treated in the special 10th floor wing reserved for popes, votive candles have been left by well-wishers offering prayers for the ailing pontiff.
This is now the second longest hospitalisation Francis has undergone. The first, in 2021, required a 10-day stay following the removal of a portion of his colon.
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Vatican: Pope’s ‘complex’ respiratory infection ‘will require adequate hospitalisation’ (By Christopher White, NCR Online)
