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Pope Francis’ hospitalization is extended due to 'complex clinical situation'

(RNS) — Pope Francis admitted himself to the hospital on Friday after struggling with a respiratory infection.
Pope Francis’ hospitalization is extended due to ‘complex clinical situation’
A woman kneels at the foot of a statue of St. John Paul II outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Feb. 16, 2025, where Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. Francis is receiving drug therapy for a respiratory tract infection that made impossible for him to attend the traditional Sunday public blessing after the noon Angelus prayer. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Claire Giangravè

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis’ scheduled meetings and appointments have been canceled until Wednesday after doctors at the Gemelli hospital in Rome where he is being treated referred to his “complex clinical situation” in a Vatican statement on Monday (Feb. 17).

“The results of the tests carried out in recent days and today have demonstrated a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract, which has led to a further modification of the therapy,” the statement read.

The 88-year-old pope has been suffering from bronchitis for 10 days as he struggled to complete speeches, holding his meetings in the Domus Sancta Marta where he lives at the Vatican instead of the Apostolic Palace. There, he was treated with cortisol and IV antibiotics. After his morning audiences on Friday, the pope admitted himself to the hospital with a slight fever and a respiratory tract infection.


A “polymicrobial” infection may refer to multiple bacteria, viruses or fungi affecting the respiratory tract. Left untreated, it may result in pneumonia, which is especially dangerous for the elderly.

In a later statement on Monday, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the pope’s condition is stable and he does not have a fever.

“Pope Francis is touched by the numerous messages of affection and closeness that he continues to receive in these hours,” Bruni said, adding that the pope thanks those hospitalized at the Gemelli who sent drawings and get-well messages.

The Vatican did not offer further details about his illness, but the doctors stated the change in therapy and multiple factors involved “will require an adequate hospitalization.” Doctors who spoke to RNS said the treatment will likely require powerful antibiotics that cannot be administered outside of the hospital.

Francis already missed the Angelus prayer Sunday, but he sent his speech to the faithful from the hospital, thanking the medical staff for its work and calling for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu and South Sudan.

The doctors ordered mandatory rest for the famously hard-working pontiff, who nevertheless was reportedly in “good spirits,” according to an update from Bruni during the weekend. During Francis’ hospitalization, he prays daily, reads newspapers, is sleeping well and made his daily call to the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza. He watched the daily Mass on Sunday on television.


The pope thanked those praying for his recovery in a message posted Sunday on X.

This is the fourth time the pope has been hospitalized since his election in 2013. He recently fell twice, in December 2024 and this January, injuring his chin and arm. As a youth in Argentina, the pope had a part of his lung removed after a severe respiratory infection, which has left him vulnerable to repeated cases of bronchitis.

RELATED: Inspired by Pope Francis, East African Catholics seek foreign debt cancellation

In March 2023, Francis was treated at the Gemelli hospital for three days and given antibiotics for bronchitis. He would later refer to the event as a “close call.” In 2021, the pope had a portion of his large intestine removed to treat diverticulitis, which led to other abdominal surgeries in 2023.

This has been a particularly active period for the pope, who after the challenging Christmas celebrations and ceremonies inaugurated the 2025 Jubilee, for which millions of pilgrims will visit Rome and the Vatican for special events and gatherings. The pope has already had to cancel events for the Jubilee of artists.

RELATED: Three things Pope Francis should do before he dies
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