Pope Francis Hospitalized With Bronchitis, Undergoes Tests As Holy Year Events Canceled | rssama.com

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday aft a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened and was receiving supplier therapy, nan Vatican said, successful the latest issues pinch nan 88-year-old’s pontiff’s health that forced him to cancel his schedule done Monday astatine least.

In an evening bulletin, nan Vatican said preliminary tests showed Francis had a respiratory tract infection, was moving a mild fever and was successful “fair” information astatine Rome’s Gemelli infirmary wherever he was undergoing supplier therapy.

Francis has complained of breathing problem and was diagnosed pinch bronchitis Feb. 6, but had continued to clasp regular audiences successful his Vatican edifice suite. He had presided astatine an outdoor Mass connected Sunday and attended his wide assemblage Wednesday. But he has been handing disconnected his speeches for an adjutant to publication aloud, saying he was having problem breathing.

On Friday, he appeared bloated and ray during nan fistful of audiences he held earlier going to nan hospital. The bloating appeared to bespeak that nan medicine he was taking to thief dainty nan lung infection was making him clasp water.

Pope Francis was diagnosed pinch bronchitis past Thursday, but had continued to clasp regular audiences successful his Vatican edifice suite.

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Christopher Lamb, CNN’s Vatican correspondent, saw Francis astatine nan opening of an assemblage Friday pinch CNN caput Mark Thompson, and said nan pope was mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods owed to breathing difficulties.

Francis, who had portion of 1 lung removed arsenic a young man, has agelong battled wellness problems, particularly bouts of acute bronchitis successful winter. He uses a wheelchair, walker aliases cane erstwhile moving astir his flat and precocious fell twice, hurting his limb and chin.

Francis is being treated astatine Rome’s Gemelli hospital, wherever he was past admitted successful June 2023 to person surgery to region intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia successful nan abdominal wall. A fewer months earlier that, he spent 3 days successful Gemelli to person intravenous antibiotics for a respiratory infection.

He later revealed that he had been rushed to nan infirmary March 29, 2023 aft spiking a precocious fever and emotion a crisp symptom successful his chest. He said he was diagnosed pinch what he said was “an acute and beardown pneumonia, successful nan little portion of nan lungs.”

The Vatican said Francis was admitted to Gemelli aft his Friday audiences. In summation to regular Vatican officials and Thompson, nan pope met Friday greeting pinch nan Slovak premier minister, Robert Fico.

“This morning, astatine nan extremity of nan audiences, Pope Francis will beryllium admitted to nan Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for immoderate basal diagnostic tests and to proceed successful a infirmary mounting curen for bronchitis that is still ongoing,” a Vatican connection said.

No specifications were fixed astir nan long of Francis’ hospitalization, but nan Vatican later announced nan pope was canceling his information successful Holy Year events done Monday.

The pope had a engaged play schedule planned, including an assemblage pinch artists successful municipality for nan Jubilee connected Saturday, a Mass for them connected Sunday and a travel to Rome’s famed Cinecitta studios connected Monday. While a Vatican cardinal will preside complete nan Mass successful Francis’ place, nan Vatican said nan different events were canceled “due to nan impossibility of nan pope to participate.”

At Gemelli, wherever popes bask a backstage suite connected nan hospital’s 10th floor, passers-by were concerned but hopeful. Votive candles, including immoderate featuring Francis’ photo, surrounded nan statue of St. John Paul II that greets visitors astatine nan infirmary entrance.

“I wish pinch each my bosom that he will get amended because these atrocious illnesses, you don’t wish them connected anyone,” said Nino Davi, who himself was receiving curen astatine Gemelli and had arrived earlier Friday from Palermo, Sicily. “So I wish pinch each my bosom that he gets better.”

The Vatican announcement, delivered up of Francis’ hospitalization, came successful crisp opposition to nan measurement it announced his 2023 hospitalization that caused confusion.

Initially, nan Vatican had said he had gone successful for scheduled tests, but nan pontiff later revealed nan business was acold much urgent and that he had been rushed to nan infirmary wherever pneumonia was diagnosed. He was put connected intravenous antibiotics and was released April 1, quipping arsenic he near that he was “still alive.”

“Thank God I tin show nan story, because nan organism, nan body, responded good to nan treatment,” he later told reporters.

Francis spent 10 days astatine nan aforesaid infirmary successful July 2021 pursuing intestinal room for a bowel narrowing. He credited his individual caregiver past pinch redeeming his life for having insisted he get nan problem checked out.

It wasn’t nan first clip he credited a caregiver pinch redeeming his life. Francis recounted his near-death acquisition pinch his youthful lung infection successful his caller autobiographies “Hope” and “Life,” successful which he credited his endurance to a nurse, an Italian nun named Sister Cornelia Caraglio.

“She was an experienced, cultured female who had worked arsenic a coach successful Greece, and she quickly realized nan seriousness of my situation: She called nan specialist, who drained 1 and a half liters of fluid from my lungs. It began a slow and unsteady climb backmost from nan brink betwixt life and death,” he recalled successful “Hope.”

It was she who, aft nan expert prescribed a definite dose of penicillin and streptomycin, ordered that it beryllium doubled, he recalled.

“She had intuition and applicable experience, and surely nary deficiency of courage,” he recalled. “My companions came from nan seminary to sojourn me; immoderate besides gave maine their humor for transfusions. Gradually nan fevers decided to time off me, and nan ray began to return.”

Francis survived, but during nan people of his curen he had to person nan precocious lobe of his correct lung removed aft it developed 3 cysts.

“The surgical process utilized nan techniques of nan day: You tin ideate nan incisions they made, and really I suffered,” he said successful “Life.”

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Visual journalist Paolo Lucariello contributed.

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Associated Press belief sum receives support done nan AP’s collaboration pinch The Conversation US, pinch backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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