Vatican Issues Pope Francis Health Update

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Daniel Orton is an editor on the live news team at Newsweek, based in London, U.K. He was previously a video news editor at the company between 2017 and 2019, before spending several years as a senior video journalist on the social news team at The Wall Street Journal, where he primarily produced short-form and breaking-news videos for the Journal’s X (Twitter) page, with a focus on business, finance and markets. He also produced longer videos for other platforms on a wide range of subjects, from the U.K. royal family’s finances to the cost of tackling climate change. He has also worked for The London Evening Standard, Fox News and Bauer Media.

Daniel Orton

Editor, Live News

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Pope Francis slept well and ate breakfast in the hospital Wednesday, the Vatican said, after being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who has a history of respiratory issues, has spent five nights in Rome’s Gemelli hospital since being admitted there following a weeklong bout of bronchitis that worsened.

Why It Matters

It is the fourth time Francis has been hospitalized since his 2013 election to the papacy, intensifying concerns about his increasingly precarious health.

Francis, a known workaholic who maintains a demanding schedule, has faced several health challenges in recent years, including intestinal surgery and recurring respiratory infections. As a young man he had the upper lobe of his right lung removed, and he now relies on a wheelchair, walker or cane because of chronic knee pain and sciatica.

What to Know

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni provided the update Wednesday morning, confirming that Francis “had a tranquil night, woke up and had breakfast.”

The pope was admitted to the hospital on Friday, and on Monday, doctors identified a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection that then developed into pneumonia.

A CT scan conducted Tuesday confirmed “the onset of bilateral pneumonia,” Bruni said, which led to adjustments in the pope’s treatment plan.

Despite the pneumonia diagnosis, the pope remains in “good spirits,” according to Bruni.

Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that can range in severity and is especially dangerous in older adults. The Vatican has not disclosed specifics regarding Francis’ response to treatment but has stated that he is not running a fever.

Well-wishers and Catholic faithful have gathered outside Gemelli hospital to show support, and he has received messages from global leaders, clergy members and children in the hospital’s oncology ward.

What People Are Saying

Dr. Carmelo D’Asero, an infectious disease and geriatric expert in Rome, said: “A high fever is a sign of an immune response to a pathogen…Having a low fever and having a serious bronchial infection…is a sign of a decreased immune response and that makes us worry a little bit more, let’s say. Maybe if he had a fever, it would have been better.”

In a statement Tuesday the Vatican said: “[Francis] gives thanks for the closeness he feels at this time and asks, with a grateful heart, that we continue to pray for him.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said: “Let’s all say a prayer for Pope Francis, who appears to have some serious health issues.”

What’s Next

The Vatican has not provided a timeline for the pope’s hospital stay but has indicated that treatment adjustments have been made in response to his “complex clinical picture.”

His ability to preside over upcoming Vatican events remains uncertain.

This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.

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