Pope Francis was hospitalized Wednesday and is expected to be treated for the next several days. He experienced difficulty breathing in recent days, the Vatican said. This is the 86-year-old pope’s first visit to Rome’s Femelli hospital since July 2021, when he had a portion of his colon removed.
Pope Francis does not have COVID-19, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, reports the Associated Press. He began experiencing trouble breathing in recent days and went to the hospital for tests. “The tests showed a respiratory infection (COVID-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy,” Bruni said in a statement.
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The news immediately raised concerns about how active Francis will be during the Holy Week events that start with Palm Sunday on April 2. He has already canceled all audiences through Friday, but it’s unclear if he could keep his Holy Week plans as scheduled. The busy week also includes observances for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday on April 9.
Francis appeared comfortable during his regularly scheduled general audience on Wednesday. However, he noticeably winced while getting in and out of the Popemobile. He has been using a wheelchair for over a year because of strained ligaments in his right knee and a knee fracture. More recently, he has been seen using a cane and said he was on the mend. Francis also had parts of one lung removed when he was young due to a respiratory infection.
In February, Francis canceled one audience and skipped multiple speeches after he came down with a bad cold, the Vatican said. After meeting with members of the German research group the Max Planck Society, he only handed them printed copies of his remarks. He repeatedly coughed during Ash Wednesday services and did not participate in the procession marking the start of the Lenten season.
The pope was previously hospitalized for 10 days to remove 13 inches of his colon. Although he said he fully recovered from the surgery, he told the Associated Press in January that diverticulosis “returned.” This condition causes bulges in his intestinal wall.
The January interview was Francis’ first since retired Pope Benedict XVI died on Dec. 31. Francis, the first pope from the Americas, has spent part of his first decade as pope making the Catholic Church more welcoming, which has been criticized by conservatives. “You prefer that they don’t criticize, for the sake of tranquility,” Francis told the AP of his critics. “But I prefer that they do it because that means there’s freedom to speak.”
