Italy Concern for the Pope: Francis in hospital
Concern for Pope Francis: the 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church has been taken to hospital due to a persistent respiratory illness. The Vatican officially speaks of bronchitis. After an initial examination, it was reported in the evening that the Pope was suffering from a respiratory infection. He also had a "slight fever".
14.02.2025, 20:02
SDA
Francis - now the second oldest pope in history - has been in poor health for more than a week. His voice broke several times during public appointments. He hardly ever left his residence in the Vatican.
The Holy See made the hospitalization public on Friday morning, after the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide had received several visitors. Francis will undergo the "necessary diagnostic examinations" at the Gemelli Hospital in the west of Rome, it said.
All appointments canceled until Monday
The Italian news agency Ansa reported, citing sources close to him, that the stay could last until the middle of next week. The university hospital has a separate wing on the tenth floor for the Pope and his entourage. All official appointments have been canceled, at least up to and including Monday. Several camera teams are now standing on a hill in front of the clinic with a good view of the five windows of the wing.
It remains to be seen how long Francis will stay there. Due to his health, the pontiff has already had to change the program several times in the past few days. During an audience for pilgrims in the current Holy Year on Sunday, he interrupted the sermon. The rest of the address was then delivered by another priest. Francis himself justified this with "breathing difficulties". On another occasion, he spoke of a "severe cold".
In addition, he did not receive guests in the Apostolic Palace as usual, but in the Casa Santa Marta, his residence. In principle, the problems have been dragging on since mid-December.
Now almost always in a wheelchair
The Argentinian-born man has been suffering from respiratory problems in the winter months for several years. In 2023, he had to cancel a trip to the then UN Climate Summit in Dubai at short notice. Officially, the Vatican was also talking about bronchitis at the time. A few weeks later, the Pope himself reported that he had contracted "acute and severe pneumonia".
Francis also missed several speeches and appointments last winter due to an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. To make matters worse, the upper part of his right lung was removed at a young age due to large cysts. According to press reports, he is treated with cortisone under medical supervision during the cold season to prevent the spread of infections in his airways.
Due to problems with his knees and hips, Francis now spends most of his public appearances in a wheelchair. He has great difficulty walking independently. Despite his advanced age, the Pope also completed his longest trip abroad last September: more than 30,000 kilometers by plane in twelve days to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He survived the exertions without any known health problems.
Second oldest pope in history
The Pope has already received inpatient treatment at the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in the past. Last year, he initially had to go there due to pneumonia. In June 2023, he underwent open abdominal surgery there, from which he soon recovered. Former pontiffs such as John Paul II also received treatment at the university hospital. Francis is now also accommodated in the wing on the tenth floor, which is specially designed for stays by popes. The clinic is named after the Franciscan and doctor Agostini Gemelli, who was one of the founders of the university in 1921.
At the age of 88, Francis is now the second oldest pope in history. As the successor to Benedict XVI, he has been in office since March 2013. According to Vatican records, only Pope Leo XIII was even older: the Italian died in 1903 at the age of 93. Francis' German predecessor, whose real name was Joseph Ratzinger, lived to be 95, but had already stepped down nine years before his death on New Year's Eve 2022.
"I am still alive"
Due to his advanced age and failing health, there is also constant speculation as to how long Francis will remain Pope. He has repeatedly rejected the idea of resigning like his predecessor, saying that he is not concerned with such thoughts. He usually takes questions about his health with humor. His standard answer: "I'm still alive."
