Pope Francis continues his treatment for a hospital respiratory infection, where he will remain for as long as necessary, said a Vatican spokesman on Saturday (15).
“We’ll see how he reacts to treatment,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Room. “I don’t have a precise date (to discharge),” he added.
The Pope slept well and his fever did not increase at night. Francisco is expected to continue to perform diagnostic tests this Saturday.
An authority of the Vatican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the Pope
The 88-year-old has suffered from bronchitis for over a week and was taken to the Gemelli Hospital of Rome for treatment on Friday morning (14).
Gemelli Hospital, the largest in Rome, has a special suite to treat popes and is known especially for treating the late Pope John Paul II often during his long papacy.
Francisco spent nine days at Gemelli in June 2023, when he underwent surgery to repair an abdominal hernia.
Outside the hospital on Saturday, groups of people gathered under a famous statue of John Paul II to pray for Francisco.
“We found yesterday morning, sadly,” said Giovanni Di Muro, an Italian who was visiting his son in the hospital. “We hope it is nothing serious and that everything is fine.”
They indicated that Francis had a respiratory tract infection.
Francisco, who has been a pontiff since 2013, has had flu and other health problems several times in the last two years.
In his youth, he developed a case of pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed and has recently been prone to pulmonary infections.
Francisco suffers from breathing problems since mid -December.
He failed to read statements at several of his public events in January and February, attending occasions, but asking advisers to read their prepared comments.
