According to the Vatican, Pope Francis has been having difficulty breathing in recent days and was hospitalized due to a respiratory infection. He will be treated in Rome hospital for several days.
86-year-old Pope Francis had part of his lung removed due to a respiratory infection when he was young. His spokesman, Matteo Bruni also said he does not have Covid-19 in a statement.
Pope Francis also had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed in July 2021 when he spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital.
The recent breathing disease has once again raised questions about his general health, and his ability to celebrate the busy Holy Week events that are due to start this weekend with Palm Sunday.
The Pope was scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, to start the Catholic’s Holy Week observances: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. He has canceled all audiences through Friday, but it wasn’t clear whether he could keep the Holy Week plans.
The Pope 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.” He nevertheless rode around the square as normal, kissing babies and greeting the faithful.
US President Joe Biden raised concerns about the health of Pope Francis whom he referred to as his dear “friend” at the beginning of an Oval Office meeting with President Alberto Fernández of Argentina.
Pope Francis has been in a wheelchair for over a year due to an injury in his right knee – a strained ligament and a small knee fracture. He has said the injury was healing and has been walking more with a cane of late.
However, Francis has refused to have surgery for the knee problems because his body did not react well to general anesthesia during a 2021 intestinal surgery.
Unfortunately, in an interview with The Associated Press, he said his diverticulosis, or bulges in the intestinal wall, had “returned.”