Pope Francis Hospitalized for Bronchitis, Vatican Cancels Upcoming Events
The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis has been hospitalized for treatment of bronchitis, which he has been dealing with for a week. Pope Francis was "admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for necessary diagnostic tests and to continue hospital treatment for his ongoing bronchitis," The Vatican said in a statement.
Prior to his hospitalization, the pope met with his morning audiences at the Vatican. According to CNN's Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb, Francis "was mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods due to breathing difficulties," the outlet reported.
In addition to treatment, Francis is expected to undergo tests during his stay, Associated Press reported.
Per Vatican News, adjustments for upcoming events were made due to the pope's hospitalization.
"The Jubilee Audience scheduled for tomorrow, February 15, has been canceled. The Holy Mass for the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture, set to take place on Sunday, February 16, will be presided over by His Eminence Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education." The Holy See Press Office said in a statement Friday.
Francis, 88, has suffered from health issues in recent years, including surgeries in 2021 and 2023, as well as longstanding knee issues that have resulted in him using a wheelchair.
The pope, however, has downplayed his health struggles, blaming them on his old age.
"The reality is, quite simply, that I am old," Francis wrote in his autobiography released last month. He also added that "the Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs."
As reported by Fox News, Francis also suffered a fall in January, in which he "suffered a contusion on his right forearm, without fractures. The arm was immobilized as a precautionary measure," the Vatican shared in a statement.
Six weeks prior to the incident, Francis had another fall in December in which he injured his face.
In addition to health struggles, the pope faced criticism recently for speaking out against President Donald Trump's mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the United States.
According to The Christian Post, Francis wrote a letter to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Tuesday condemning the "major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations."
Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, accused Francis of hypocrisy for speaking out against the mass deportations while living inside the Vatican surrounded by a wall.
"He's got a wall around the Vatican, does he not? So, he's got a wall around to protect his people and himself, but we can't have a wall around the United States?" Homan told reporters on Tuesday.
He added, "I wish he'd stick to the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border enforcement to us."
Photo Credit: ©RNS/AP Photo/Andrew Medichini
Originally published February 14, 2025.
