Pope Francis remains hospitalized with pneumonia in both lungs, Vatican says

Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs and remains hospitalized in Rome after a respiratory tract infection, painting a "complex picture" of his health, the Vatican said Tuesday.

A follow-up CT scan of the pontiff, 88, revealed the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which the Vatican said is requiring additional medications.

"Nevertheless, Pope Francis remains in good spirits," his press office said in a statement.

The Vatican announced Monday that Francis was sick with a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract, three days after he was admitted to Policlinico Agostino Gemelli, one of Italy's largest hospitals, for treatment of bronchitis. Preliminary tests showed he had a respiratory tract infection and a slight fever.

Testing over the past days paints a "complex clinical picture," the Vatican said Monday, and he'll need to remain in the hospital for an "appropriate" amount of time.

The Vatican said Tuesday that the pope's polymicrobial infection has "arisen in the context of bronchiectasis and asthmatic bronchitis, and has required the use of corticosteroid and antibiotics," which "makes the therapeutic treatment more complex."

Polymicrobial diseases are caused by combinations of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, according to the National Library of Medicine.

The Vatican had canceled his audiences as he recuperates. The Vatican said he received the Eucharist on Tuesday and alternated between rest, prayer and reading."He expresses his gratitude for the support he feels at this time and kindly asks that prayers for him continue," his press office said.

Francis has contended with repeated health issues in recent years, including from influenza and respiratory infections. In 2021, he underwent surgery to address diverticulitis, or a painful inflammation in the intestine, and again in 2023 to repair a hernia.

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Last month, he wore a sling on his arm after falling at his residence, weeks after bruising his face in a fall.

Francis, the leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Catholics since 2013, often uses a wheelchair because of back and knee pain.

A year-long Catholic celebration known as the Jubilee, which is held every 25 years, is expected to bring millions more visitors to Rome this year, testing the pope's stamina.

In "HOPE," an autobiography published last month, he downplayed his health issues, writing that he feels well despite the falls and ailments.

"The reality is, quite simply, that I am old," he writes.