Pope Francis was admitted to hospitalin Rome on Friday for tests and treatment for bronchitis, the Vatican said,the latest in a series of health problems for the 88-year-old pontiff.
Francis, who has been breathless in recent days and has delegated officialsto read his speeches, was admitted following his morning audiences, theVatican said.
He was hospitalised at Rome's Gemelli hospital for "some necessary diagnostictests and to continue treatment for ongoing bronchitis in a hospitalsetting", according to the Vatican.
The Argentine pontiff, who took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013,will be staying in a suite used exclusively by popes, which has its ownchapel.
The pope, who had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man, has beensuffering with breathing difficulties for over a week, asking aides severaltimes to read his speeches aloud on his behalf.
At his weekly general audience on Wednesday, a breathless Francis said he"cannot yet" read his own speeches, adding with a smile: "I hope that nexttime I can."
He also held meetings at home on February 6 and 7 in an attempt to rest andrecover.
Francis was admitted to hospital for three nights in March 2023 withbronchitis, which was cured with antibiotics.
And in December that year he had to cancel a visit to Dubai to participate inthe United Nations COP28 climate change conference due to another bout ofbronchitis.
- Defying health woes -
The Argentine pontiff has been plagued in recent years by health issues,including an inflamed colon. He also underwent surgery for a hernia.
He has been using a wheelchair since 2022 due to persistent knee pain anduses a cane during rare moments standing up.
He has also fallen a couple of times in the past few months, bruising hisforearm in January and sporting a large bruise on his right jaw in December,caused by toppling from his bed.
Despite his health troubles, Francis rarely rests. In September, he completeda four-nation trip, the longest of his papacy in terms of duration anddistance.
He never takes holidays and keeps a busy schedule, sometimes with a dozenmeetings in one morning.
Francis's health issues regularly spark speculation over his future,particularly as his predecessor, Benedict XVI, quit over failing health in2013.
While Francis has left open the option of resigning should he be unable tocarry out his duties, he has said that for now he is going nowhere.
In a memoir published last year, Francis wrote that he did "not have anycause serious enough to make me think of resigning".
Resignation is a "distant possibility" that would be justified only in theevent of "a serious physical impediment", he wrote.
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