Italy Vatican: Pope spends quiet night in hospital
According to official information, Pope Francis spent a quiet night following the new diagnosis of pneumonia. This was announced by a Vatican spokesperson. The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church has been in hospital in Rome since last Friday. Following the new diagnosis, concerns about Francis have increased.
19.02.2025, 08:51
SDA
In the evening, the Vatican announced that a CT scan had revealed the "onset of bilateral pneumonia". This means that both lungs are affected by the infection. This was not previously mentioned. The press release also stated that the clinical picture was still "complex". The Pope is therefore suffering from an infection caused by several pathogens, which is making treatment more difficult overall.
Faithful pray for Francis outside the hospital
In the morning, a papal spokesperson reported - as on every day since his admission - a quiet night. Francis, who is in a special wing on the tenth floor of Gemelli Hospital, had got up in the meantime and had breakfast. Outside the clinic in the west of Rome, numerous camera crews and photographers as well as the faithful have gathered to pray for the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
To make matters worse, Francis already had the upper part of his right lung removed as a young man in Argentina. At the age of 88, Francis is now the second oldest pope in history. He has been in office since March 2013 as the successor to German Pope Benedict XVI.
