Mindanaotoday.com | Pope Francis in hospital for respiratory infection
By: AFP
Vatican City – Pope Francis, 86, was admitted to a hospital in Rome on Wednesday with a respiratory infection that will require a stay of a few days, the Vatican said.
“In recent days Pope Francis has complained of some breathing difficulties,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. The pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for medical checks, which revealed “a respiratory infection… that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical treatment”, Bruni said.
Covid had been excluded, he added.
A Vatican source confirmed the pope’s engagements on Thursday were cancelled, with others likely to follow in what is a very busy period for the pontiff ahead of the key Christian holiday of Easter.
Joe Biden, only the second Catholic president in US history, urged attendees at a Greek independence day reception at the White House on Wednesday to “say an extra prayer” for the pope.
Francis, who marked a decade as head of the Catholic Church earlier this month, spent 10 days in the Gemelli hospital in July 2021 after undergoing colon surgery.
He has also suffered pain in his knee, which has forced him to use a wheelchair, although he continues to travel widely.
“Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,” Bruni added in his statement. | via AFP