Vatican issues major Pope health update as he battles infection in hospital

30 March 2023 , 10:53

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Pope Francis is in hospital with a respiratory infection (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The Vatican has given an update on the Pope's ill-health as he remains in hospital with his respiratory infection having "progressively improved".

The 86-year-old Pope was hospitalised with a lung infection yesterday after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days.

He was diagnosed with a respiratory infection, though not COVID-19 and all his audiences were cancelled through to Friday.

His spokesman Matteo Bruni updated the public and said he is well rested after a good nights sleep and has eaten breakfast, read the newspapers and was working from his hospital room.

The hospitalisation is the first since 2021, when he spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital to have 33 centimetres of his colon removed.

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Pope Francis in 2021 at St. Peter's basilica, the Vatican (AFP via Getty Images)

Many are now concerned at the Pope's abilities to celebrate Holy Week as events are due to begin this weekend with Palm Sunday.

Bruni previously said Francis had been suffering breathing troubles in recent days and went to the Gemelli hospital for tests.

“The tests showed a respiratory infection [not Covid] that will require some days of medical therapy,” Bruni's statement said.

Today's statement said: “Before lunch he went to the little chapel in the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist."

Francis appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled general audience earlier on Wednesday, though he grimaced strongly while getting in and out of the “popemobile.”

Francis has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture, though he had been walking more with a cane recently.

Francis has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didn’t respond well to general anesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery.

Rachel Hagan