Pope Francis was hospitalized due to a serious infection

A Vatican spokesman confirmed this Pope Francis he was admitted to a hospital in Rome. The pope has reportedly been diagnosed with a respiratory infection and will spend “a few days” in the hospital to recover.

The shocking news is that the Pope appears healthy during his weekly general audience that day. It’s also Easter, which is one of the busiest times for the Pope and the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis has been dealing with a number of health issues, including diverticulitis and a knee injury that requires support. He also talked about resigning, saying he would consider it for medical reasons or extreme fatigue.

Read on to learn more.

Pope Francis was hospitalized due to an infection

According to the statement of Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, per Daily Mail, Pope Francis was recently hospitalized due to a respiratory infection. He will reportedly spend “a few days” in a hospital in Rome to treat the illness and restore his health.

The shocking news about Francis’ health comes shortly after he canceled all tomorrow’s events and checked into the Policlinico A. Gemelli Hospital for “scheduled check-ups”. In a statement, Bruni revealed that the 86-year-old pontiff “complained of some breathing difficulties” during the day.

A hospital examination revealed that Francis was suffering from a respiratory infection that required several days of medical treatment. Bruni also said that the Pope was “touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayers”.

He was hospitalized after his weekly general audience

A few hours before arriving at the hospital, Pope Francis was at his weekly general audience held in St. Peter’s Square. He appeared in good health as he interacted with the crowd, but was later photographed getting into his vehicle, which was being escorted to hospital by ambulance.

At first, the Pope’s staff claimed that they had already arranged a meeting with him at the hospital, but later confirmed that he would need more time to recover. The news comes just before Easter, one of the biggest holidays and seasons of the Catholic Church calendar.

Pope Francis was originally scheduled for Palm Sunday mass for the weekend, and then for several events during Easter week. Palm Sunday would kick off the Holy Week festivities, which include Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday.

Pope Francis is struggling with a number of health problems

Pope Francis has struggled with many health problems throughout his life, including diverticulitis, a condition that causes inflammation or infection of the large intestine. In 2021, Francis underwent surgery to remove an inflamed and infected part of his colon. But earlier this year, she shared that the condition had returned and was affecting her weight.

Pope Francis also struggled with knee problems, forcing him to use a cane or wheelchair during public appearances. During an interview Reuters last year the 86-year-old said he refused knee surgery because he couldn’t deal with the long-term harmful side effects of anesthesia on his body.

When the Pope was much younger, he had a terrible respiratory infection that led to the removal of one of his lungs. This act caused him to whisper frequently, making him easily susceptible to illness. Fortunately, the Pope survived the COVID-19 pandemic without infection.

Pope Francis has spoken about the resignation several times

Pope Francis has talked about his retirement from his position in several interviews recently, especially after his recent trip to Canada. Speaking to Italian media, he said he would consider resigning if he was too exhausted to continue working.

He warned them of the “fatigue that makes you not see things clearly… The lack of clarity in assessing situations.” Francis also shared that he is a bit “ashamed” of using a wheelchair as the knee problems are “physically humiliating, even though the recovery is going well now”.

In a December interview with a Spanish newspaper, Pope Francis revealed that he wrote his letter of resignation almost ten years ago. He said: “I signed it and said, ‘If I were to become disabled for health reasons or whatever, here’s my waiver.’