Vatican says Francis’s respiratory infection also involves asthmatic bronchitis but that he remains ‘in good spirits’.
Published On 18 Feb 2025
Pope Francis has contracted double pneumonia, further complicating treatment for the 88-year pontiff, the Vatican has said.
The Vatican on Tuesday said Francis’s respiratory infection also involves asthmatic bronchitis, which requires the use of cortisone antibiotic treatment.
Francis has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy on February 14.
“Laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and the Holy Father’s clinical condition continue to present a complex picture,” the Vatican said in a statement.
“[A] chest CAT scan which the Holy Father received this afternoon … showed the onset of bilateral pneumonia that requires further pharmacological therapy,” it added.
The pope, however, is in “good spirits,” the statement said.