On Tuesday, the 18th of February, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had been diagnosed with double pneumonia, complicating the 88-year-old pontiff’s treatment and signalling a further deterioration of his fragile health, reports Reuters.
Pope Francis has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to hospital in Rome on the 14th of February.
The Vatican said in a statement that on Tuesday afternoon the Pope underwent a chest CT scan, which revealed “the onset of bilateral pneumonia requiring further pharmacological treatment”.
In its latest update on the Pontiff’s fragile health, the Vatican reported that Pope Francis spent a restful fifth night in hospital and ate breakfast on Wednesday.
Bilateral pneumonia is a serious infection that causes inflammation and scarring in both lungs and makes breathing difficult.
“Laboratory tests, chest X-rays and the Holy Father’s clinical condition continue to show a complex picture,” the Vatican said.
The Vatican reiterated that the Pope is suffering from a “polymicrobial infection”, stating that he requires corticosteroid and antibiotic treatment, which “makes treatment more difficult”.
“Nevertheless, Pope Francis remains in good spirits,” the Vatican statement said.
The Pope is particularly susceptible to lung infections, having contracted pleurisy when he was young and had part of one lung removed.
A Vatican official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said earlier in the day that the pontiff was not on a ventilator and was breathing independently.
Before the latest announcement, the Vatican said that all public activities on the Pope’s calendar had been cancelled until Sunday.
Over the weekend, the Pope was due to preside over a series of events marking the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, which runs until January next year.
The Vatican said on Monday that doctors had changed his medication for the second time during the Pope’s hospital stay to deal with a “complex clinical situation”.
According to doctors, a polymicrobial infection occurs when two or more micro-organisms are involved and can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
The Vatican has announced that Francis will remain in hospital for as long as necessary.
The Pope has been plagued by ill health in recent years, including regular bouts with flu, sciatic nerve pain and an abdominal hernia that required surgery in 2023.
A Vatican statement on Tuesday said he was grateful for all the support he had received in recent days. “With a grateful heart (he) asks for continued prayers for him,” the statement added.