The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Francis has developed bilateral pneumonia. The updated diagnosis means that pneumonia is in both of his lungs; the 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to hospital for a respiratory tract infection on Feb. 14 after two weeks of what Francis repeatedly referred to as bronchitis.
On Feb. 17, a Vatican press release said that test results revealed a “polymicrobial infection” and that due to the “complex” clinical situation, he would require further hospitalization. The updated Vatican statement released at 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday evening (Feb. 18) revealed that “laboratory tests and chest X-rays continue to reveal a complex medical picture. The chest CT scan that the Holy Father underwent this afternoon … demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia that required further pharmacological therapy.” The statement noted that the 88-year-old pontiff is in good spirits, and that he received the Eucharist earlier in the day.
The Pope’s latest hospitalization marks the second longest hospital stay of his papacy; he was hospitalized for 10 days in 2021 after undergoing surgery that removed a portion of his colon. In 2023, Francis spent three nights in hospital with pneumonia.
Editorial credit: Fabrizio Maffei / Shutterstock.com
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