Pope Francis will remain in hospital, Vatican says

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Pope Francis will remain hospitalized and will continue treatment for a respiratory infection, according to a Reuters report citing a Vatican spokesperson. 

Diagnostic tests apparently indicated that Pope Francis had a respiratory tract infection, the outlet added.

Vatican News reported that the 88-year-old pontiff had a “restful night” at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Hospital. While the pope was experiencing a “slight fever” on Friday, it had broken by Saturday, according to Vatican News.

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica to mark the start of the Catholic Jubilee Year, at the Vatican, Dec. 24, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli/Pool Photo via AP)

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The pope was admitted to Rome’s largest hospital after reportedly grappling with a bout of bronchitis for about a week, the Vatican confirmed to Fox News.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson met with Pope Francis shortly before his hospitalization. According to CNN’s report, the pope was “mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods due to breathing difficulties.”

A statue of the late Pope John Paul II stands outside the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis has gone to continue treatment for ongoing bronchitis in Rome, Italy, Feb. 14, 2025. (REUTERS/Remo Casilli)

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The pope is no stranger to health struggles. At the age of 21, he had part of his lung removed after developing pleurisy, which is an inflammation of the membranes that cushion the lungs.

Pope Francis has struggled with multiple health battles over the last few years, including surgeries in 2021 and 2023, as well as longstanding knee issues, which have resulted in his using a wheelchair.

Pope Francis arrives on a wheelchair at his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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In his autobiography, the pope chalked up his health issues to his age, saying “the Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs.”

The pope also suffered from two recent falls, one in December and another in January. After the second fall, which occurred at his residence, Pope Francis’ arm was put in a sling to immobilize it. The Vatican said at the time that this was done as “a precautionary measure.”

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.