Pope Francis will remain in hospital for as long as required after tests undertaken in recent days showed a “complex clinical picture”, the Vatican has said.
The pontiff, 88, was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Friday with worsening bronchitis and was diagnosed and treated for a respiratory tract infection.
“The results of the tests carried out in recent days and today have demonstrated a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract, which has led to a further modification of the therapy,” the Vatican said in a statement.
A polymicrobial infection is one caused by two or more micro-organisms, and can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
“All tests conducted up to today are indicative of a complex clinical picture that will require an appropriate hospital stay,” the statement said.
The pope’s general audience on Wednesday has been cancelled. With public concern over his condition growing, the Vatican released another statement on Monday evening, saying his condition was stable and that he did not have a fever.
Francis maintained his nightly routine since 9 October 2023 of telephone calls to the Holy Family church in Gaza on his first two days in hospital.
“He called us on Friday and Saturday, he was in a good mood,” a manager for the church told the TgCom24 news channel. “His voice was a little tired, but he wanted to know how we were. On Sunday, however, he was resting and we knew that he wouldn’t call.”
The pope held several meetings on Friday morning before being taken to hospital, including with Mark Thompson, the chief executive of CNN News, which later reported that Francis was “mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods due to breathing difficulties”.
The pope, who has suffered ill-health in recent years, was also admitted to hospital in March 2023 with acute bronchitis. After being discharged, he said: “I am still alive.” He was readmitted to the Gemelli for health checks in June that year and again in February 2024 after suffering from what he said was “a bit of a cold”.
Francis had part of his lung removed in his early 20s while training to be a priest in his native Argentina. He also underwent a colon operation in June 2021.
He has often been seen in a wheelchair or with a walking stick as a result of a sciatic nerve pain and a knee problem. He hit his chin on his nightstand, reportedly after a fall, in early December and he injured his right forearm after falling at his Casa Santa Marta residence in January. He also stumbled after his walking stick snapped while entering the Vatican’s auditorium on 1 February.