Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized since last week, was found to have pneumonia in both lungs following a CT scan on Tuesday, the Vatican said, with tests continuing to indicate “a complex picture” for one of the oldest popes in the church’s history.
“The control chest CT scan that the Holy Father underwent this afternoon … demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia that required further pharmacological therapy,” the Vatican wrote Tuesday.
The 88-year-old pontiff – who has long been plagued by a string of lung-related medical struggles – had received the Eucharist in the morning and “alternated rest with prayer and reading texts” on Tuesday, the Vatican statement said.
On Monday, the Vatican said Francis had a “polymicrobial infection” of his respiratory tract that will require his treatment in hospital to be changed.
“The results of the tests carried out in recent days and today have demonstrated a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract that has led to a further change in therapy,” the Vatican said in the Monday statement.
“All the tests carried out to date are indicative of a complex clinical picture that will require adequate hospitalization.”
On Tuesday morning, Francis awoke after a peaceful night, ate breakfast and read newspapers, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.
The Vatican on Tuesday said despite the onset of pneumonia in both of his lungs, “Pope Francis is in good spirits.”
“He gives thanks for the closeness he feels at this moment and asks, with a grateful heart, that we continue to pray for him,” the statement said.
Polymicrobial infections are acute and chronic diseases that can be caused by a combination of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, according to the US National Insititutes of Health.
Prior to the pneumonia diagnosis, worshipers outside the Vatican expressed concern over the pope’s condition and wished him a steady recovery. “We certainly wish for him to get better very quickly,” Rev. Tyler Carter, a US priest, told Reuters. “He is our father and our shepherd, and so we want his continued health and blessing.”
Manuel Rossi, a visitor from Milan, northern Italy, said: “I am 18 years old so I have seen few popes in my life, and am very close to him.
“I hope he recovers as soon as possible,” added Rossi.
‘He is more tired’
Francis tried to complete routine obligations on the first two days of hospitalization, according to Bruni.
On Friday and Saturday, the pope spoke on the phone to Rev. Gabriel Romanelli and his assistant, Father Yusuf Asad, in Gaza City, northern Gaza – who have been in frequent communication since Israel launched its war following the October 7 attacks.
After more than 15 months of “massacres, violence, fear, and hunger” in the Palestinian enclave, the pontiff called his colleagues “to check in,” Vatican News reported on Monday.
“We heard his voice. It is true, he is more tired,” reflected Romanelli. “He himself said, ‘I have to take care of myself.’ But you could hear the clear voice, he listened to us well.”
Pope Francis leads the vespers at Saint Paul Outside the Walls, in Rome on January 25.
Pope will not lead Sunday’s Angelus prayer, unclear how long he will stay in hospital
He did not lead the weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday – only the second time that this has happened in his almost 12-year-long papacy.
The pope was checked into a hospital in Rome last week for “diagnostic tests” relating to a respiratory tract infection, the Vatican added. They later confirmed he was in Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in the Italian capital. All his public events will be canceled until Saturday, Bruni said.
Doctors had prescribed “complete rest” for the pope, who had engaged in an intense round of meetings and public events until his hospitalization.
When he was younger, the Argentine leader endured severe pneumonia and had part of one lung removed. More recently, he suffered two falls in recent months and has been seen using a wheelchair to help alleviate his restricted mobility.
Francis also has diverticulitis, a common condition that can cause the inflammation or infection of the colon. In 2021, he had surgery to remove part of his colon.
“We hope that the recovery will happen soon, and that he can return to St. Peter’s to continue his mission and work,” added Romanelli, the priest in Gaza City.