Pope Francis will remain hospitalized and continue to treat respiratory infections, according to a Reuters report citing a Vatican spokesman.
The diagnostic test clearly showed Pope Francis had a respiratory infection, the outlet added.
Vatican News reported that the 88-year-old bishop had a “relaxing night” at Agostino Gemeri Hospital in Rome. According to Vatican News, the Pope had experienced “a slight fever” on Friday, but by Saturday it had broken.
Pope Francis opens the sacred door of St. Peter’s Cathedral to mark the beginning of the year of the Catholic Jubilee at the Vatican on December 24th, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli/Pool Photo via AP)
Biden will award Pope Francis, who will award the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal over the phone.
The Pope was recognized by Rome’s largest hospital after being reported to have been working on a bronchitis match for about a week, the Vatican confirmed to Fox News.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson met Pope Francis shortly before his hospitalization. CNN reports that the Pope is “mentally vigilant, but has struggled to speak for a long time due to difficulty breathing.”
The statue of the late Pope John Paul II stands outside the Gemeri Hospital, which continues to treat ongoing bronchitis in Rome, Italy, on February 14, 2025. (Reuters/Lemokasirri)
Pope Francis begins his Holy Year at the Vatican, with over 32 million visitors expected
The Pope is not accustomed to the health struggle. At age 21, he developed pneumonia and then removed some of his lungs. This is inflammation of the membrane that relieves the lungs.
Pope Francis has struggled with multiple health battles over the past few years, including surgeries in 2021 and 2023 and long-standing knee problems with wheelchairs.
Pope Francis arrives in the wheelchair of a weekly general audience on February 28, 2024 at the Hall of Paul VI of the Vatican. (AP Photo/Andrew Medicini)
Pope Francis was injured as the Vatican confirmed a second decline in weeks of problems
In his autobiography, the Pope chalked his health issues to his age, saying, “The church is governed by using its head and heart, not its feet.”
The Pope also suffered from two recent falls. One was in December and the other in January. After the second autumn that occurred at his residence, Pope Francis’ arm was placed in a sling to secure it. The Vatican said at the time that this was done as a “precautionary measure.”
