Pope Francis was rushed to the hospital on Friday morning for testing and to continue treatment for his continuing bronchitis, according to the Vatican.
Pope Francis was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still ongoing, in a hospital environment,” according to the Vatican.
Francis has been pope since 2013, and he has suffered from influenza and other health issues multiple times in the last two years.
Earlier this month, Francis told pilgrims at a weekly audience he was suffering from a “strong cold”, which the Vatican later described as bronchitis.
The pope has been keeping up his daily schedule of appointments despite his illness, taking meetings at the Vatican residence where he lives.
Before going to hospital on Friday, he had an official meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Pope Francis also held meetings on Friday morning with Cardinal Luis Tagle, a senior Vatican official, with a Catholic philanthropy group based in Puerto Rico and with Mark Thompson, chair and CEO of the CNN news channel.
Pope Francis suffered two falls recently at his Vatican residence, bruising his chin in December and injuring his arm in January.
Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the largest in the city, has a special suite for treating Popes.
The Pope spent nine days there in June 2023, when he had surgery to repair an abdominal hernia.
