The Vatican said on Tuesday that Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs, following additional tests that revealed a worsening of the 88-year-old pope’s illness.
Francis’ respiratory condition, according to the Vatican, also includes asthmatic bronchitis, which calls for the administration of corticosteroid antibiotics. “Laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and the Holy Father’s clinical condition continue to present a complex picture,” the Vatican said.
In a late update, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope is in good spirits and is thankful for the prayers for his health.
Francis was hospitalised to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday in “fair” condition after his week-long battle of bronchitis worsened.
On Monday, medical experts concluded that he had a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection, which means that a variety of viruses, bacteria, and possibly other organisms had colonized his respiratory system.
The follow-up chest CT scan to which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy, Bruni said.
Bronchitis can lead to pneumonia, which is a deeper and far more serious infection of the lungs’ air sacs.
Treatment varies by severity but can include providing oxygen through a nasal tube or mask, intravenous fluids – and treatment of the underlying cause of the infection.
The Vatican has not said how long the pope will be hospitalized, merely stating that treating such a “complex clinical picture,” which has already needed two adjustments in his medical regimen, would necessitate a “adequate” stay.
According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, Francis slept peacefully, ate breakfast, and read the newspapers on Tuesday morning. A more detailed medical update was anticipated later.
On Monday, Francis resumed work and made his daily call to a Gaza City parish to check in on the Catholic community. Other Vatican business continued as usual Tuesday, with Vatican No. 2 Cardinal Pietro Parolin continuing his sensitive visit to Burkina Faso and another top Vatican cardinal, Cardinal Michael Czerny, preparing to leave Wednesday on a five-day visit to Lebanon.
However, other business had to be cancelled. There will be no weekly general audience on Wednesday, and it is unclear whether Francis will skip his Sunday noon benediction for the second week in a row.
Francis had part of one lung removed after a pulmonary infection as a young man and is prone to bouts of bronchitis in winter. He has admitted in the past that he is a non-compliant patient, and even his close Vatican aides have said he pushed himself too far even once his bronchitis was diagnosed.
He refused to let up on his busy schedule and ignored medical advice to stay indoors during Rome’s chilly winter, insisting on sitting through an outdoor Jubilee Mass for the armed forces on Feb. 9 even though he was having trouble breathing.
Francis’ hospital admission this year has already side-lined him for longer than a 2023 hospitalization for pneumonia.
