Pope Francis is working from the hospital and ‘progressively improving’: Vatican
Jeremiah Poff
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The health of Pope Francis is improving the day after the pontiff was rushed to the hospital for breathing difficulty, a Vatican spokesman said Thursday.
The pope was taken by ambulance to Gemelli Hospital in Rome Wednesday after complaining about difficulty breathing. The Vatican had initially said that the pope was visiting the hospital for “previously scheduled checkups.” Tests revealed that the pope was suffering from a lung infection.
POPE FRANCIS HOSPITALIZED WITH RESPIRATORY INFECTION
On Thursday, Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni issued an update on the pope’s condition, saying that the 86-year-old pontiff had “rested well overnight” and that the “clinical picture is progressively improving,” Catholic News Agency reported.
“This morning, after having breakfast, [Pope Francis] read some newspapers and resumed work,” Bruni said. “Before lunch, he went to the chapel of his private apartment, where he spent time in prayer and received the Eucharist.”
The pope also issued a statement on his official Twitter account thanking people for their prayers.
https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1641402392867491842?s=20
“I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer,” the pope tweeted.
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The pope is expected to stay in the hospital for several more days, raising questions as to whether or not he will be able to preside over Holy Week celebrations, which commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The pontiff’s health has visibly deteriorated in recent years as he is now the oldest reigning pope since Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903 at the age of 93. In 2021, Pope Francis underwent surgery to remove a portion of his colon to treat inflammation of his intestine, a condition known as diverticulitis. He has also been increasingly using a wheelchair or a cane due to ligament damage in his knee.