ROME – Pope Francis has been admitted to Gemeri Hospital in Rome to receive treatment for persistent bronchitis, the Vatican announced Friday.
In a statement to journalists, the Holy See Press office will continue treatment for ongoing bronchitis in hospital settings, where Pope Francis will be sent to Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital for several “necessary diagnostic tests” I said for now.
Later that day, the press conference was cancelled on Saturday's special audience of artists' jubilee and cultural worlds, and Mass was Jose Trentino de Mendonza Boulevard, Director of Dicaster for Culture and Education He added that the machine is primarily adide.
The 88-year-old Pope's meeting with the artist on Monday at Cinecittà, Europe's largest film studio, was cancelled due to inability to attend, the Vatican added.
CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb saw Francis in Friday's audience before the Pope's hospitalization. It has been reported The Pope appears to be mentally wary, but has struggled to speak for a long time due to difficulty in breathing.
Francis got similar health scares in 2023, and after rushing in an ambulance, he spent three nights in the hospital. The Pope complained of difficulty breathing and pain in his chest.
The candle with a photo of Pope Francis is located at the bottom of a statue of Pope John Paul II at Gemeri Hospital, who was hospitalized on February 14, 2025 for testing and treatment of bronchitis in Rome. The old man who had recently been breathless and who had delegated officials to read his speech was recognized following his morning audience. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty)
On that occasion, Vatican news outlets said the Pope was being treated with antibiotics for a “respiratory infection” and was later identified as bronchitis.
When the Pope left the hospital, reporters asked how he was doing, and Francis replied, “I'm still alive.”
In July 2021, Francis underwent intestinal surgery for diverticulum stenosis and removed a 13-inch colon. On that occasion, the Pope was also placed under general anesthesia, attended by a team of 10 doctors and experts.
Francis has suffered from lung-related problems for most of his life, and following a severe pneumonia match, he removed part of one lung when he was a young man.
Despite his medical issues, Francis maintains a calendar of busy events and travel, visiting four countries in the Asia-Pacific region over 12 days in September last year. This was his Pope's longest trip and the most continuous time he spent away from the Vatican since the election.
Last week, the Vatican announced that the Pope would meet with British King Charles III in April.
Francis has been the Pope since 2013, elected Latin America's first papal craftsman and the first clergy of the Jesuit order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola.
