Pope Francis was unable to talk and was admitted to the hospital with bronchitis

Pope Francis, 88, was noticed having difficulty speaking at one of his meetings in the morning and was sent to the hospital on Friday due to bronchitis. The Vatican said that the pope will miss a number of scheduled public activities over the following three days.

“Pope Francis was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still ongoing, in a hospital environment,” a statement from the Vatican stated.

Bronchitis has been plaguing the pope for over a week.

Following the cancellation of a scheduled public audience on Saturday and a visit to Rome’s renowned Cinecitta film studios on Monday, the Vatican subsequently announced Pope Francis will not participate in a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica tomorrow.

Since taking office in 2013, Francis has experienced many bouts of influenza and other health issues in the last two years. He had part of one lung removed due to pleurisy he suffered as a young adult, and he has been prone to lung infections lately.

At a weekly audience earlier this month, Francis stated to pilgrims that he had a “strong cold,” which the Vatican subsequently clarified was bronchitis.

Prior to his hospitalization on Friday, the pope attended a number of meetings. One of them included CNN news channel CEO Mark Thompson. Later, CNN stated that the pope was “mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods due to breathing difficulties,” which opens a new tab.

Additionally, the pope met with Puerto Rico-based Catholic philanthropic organization, top Vatican official Cardinal Luis Tagle, and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Francis’s respiratory problems began in the middle of December. In January and February, he asked aides to deliver his prepared remarks at a number of his public appearances, ordering them to refrain from reading pronouncements.

Additionally, the pope had two falls at his Vatican apartment recently, hurting his arm in January and bruising his jaw in December.

Francis has maintained a hectic itinerary, which includes trips abroad, despite his sporadic health problems and diminished mobility. His 12-day journey of Southeast Asia and Oceania, the longest of his pontificate, ended in September.

Popes can get special care in a dedicated suite at Rome’s main hospital, Gemelli. After undergoing surgery to treat an abdominal hernia in June 2023, Francis stayed there for nine days.