The Vatican announces that Pope Francis has contracted a respiratory infection and will remain in hospital for “a few days.”

Pope Francis, who is receiving treatment in Rome, suffers from a respiratory infection and will remain in hospital “some days”On Wednesday, March 29, the Holy See announced in the early evening. exams “You have revealed a respiratory infection (excluding COVID-19 infection) that requires hospital care for a few days.” Is it specified in the press release.

The Vatican had announced at noon for the first time that Francis had been hospitalized, citing that Prescribed exams. “In recent days, Pope Francis has had difficulty breathing, and this afternoon he was taken to the A. Gemelli Clinic for medical examinations,” The evening was finally announced by the spokesperson of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni.

The Vatican has not said whether the pope will be able to preside over the Palm Sunday mass or the planned festivities for Holy Week and Easter.

Major operation in 2021

In the morning, the Argentine pope, who in mid-March crossed the tenth anniversary of his pontificate, had every Wednesday participated in the weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, appearing smiling, greeting the followers of his “papamobile”.

François, who has been in a wheelchair since May 2022 due to chronic knee pain, was hospitalized for 10 days at Gemelli Hospital in July 2021 for major colon surgery. In an interview in January, he hinted that his problems with diverticulitis — hernias, or pockets that form on the walls of the digestive tract — had returned.

Jorge Bergoglio explained that he kept “after effects” From the anesthesia he underwent at the time of this intervention, which led him to rule out the possibility of knee surgery until now.

Daily “personal health assistant”.

His knee pain, which has notably forced him to cancel several appointments in 2022 and postpone a trip to Africa, has been at the center of speculation about a possible resignation. He has always left the door open to this scenario, like his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who abdicated his responsibility, taking the whole world by surprise.

In July, François confided that he could not “No more travel” At the same pace as before, going so far as to mention the possibility “Put aside”. But in February he decided not to abdicate the pope “don’t become a fashionista”ensuring that this hypothesis does not arise “It’s not on his agenda at the moment.”

Carers followed him permanently, both in the Vatican and during his trips abroad, but his recent health problems have led him to officially establish a new job, a jobPersonal health assistant.