Pope Francis Hospitalized in Rome

Pope Francis was admitted to a hospital in Rome for treatment after suffering a respiratory infection, the Vatican said on Friday.

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for diagnostic tests and treatment for bronchitis.

“This morning, at the end of the audiences, Pope Francis will be admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue in a hospital setting treatment for bronchitis that is still ongoing,” the Vatican said. 

Sources close to the Vatican have, however, clarified that the 86-year-old Pope does not have Covid-19. 

His ailment adds to the several health concerns reported in the past which have seen him spend days in hospital.

Francis has made several visits to the hospital in recent years including one in 2023 when underwent abdominal surgery. 

Francis became pope in 2013, making him the first pontiff from South America. He has been seen with a walking stick and sometimes uses a wheelchair. In January, the head of Catholic Church suffered a fall and injured his arm.

Despite his health concerns, Francis has kept up a busy calendar of events, including a 12-day visit of four countries in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.

His trip to Asia was one of the longest any pope has embarked on and marked the furthest geographical distance (about 20,000 miles) that Francis has traveled since being chosen as the leader of the Catholic Church.

Last week, it was announced that the pope would meet King Charles III in April.

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