Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital in Rome for tests and treatment for continuous bronchitis, the Vatican announced.
The 88-year-old, who has been out of breath in recent days and has delegated officials to read his speeches, was admitted after his morning audience, said it.
“This morning, at the end of his audience, Pope Francis was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still underway, in a hospital environment,” said a statement .
Francis has been Pope since 2013 and has been suffering from influenza and other health problems several times in the last two years.
Earlier this month, Francis Pelgrims told a weekly audience that he suffered from a 'strong cold', who later described the Vatican as bronchitis.
Last month the pope injured his right arm in a fall in his house in Santa Marta, the holy chair said, adding that he had no fractures.
In addition to fragile health, the Pope has reduced in recent years and often uses a stick or a wheelchair to move because of knee and back pain.
Pope Francis was depicted in the Vatican earlier this week
He was operated on in 2021 to tackle a painful condition called diverticulitis, and again in 2023 to repair a hernia.
He has often traced concern about his health and has also excluded that he resigned, as his predecessor Benedict XVI, in the midst of concern that he cannot meet the physical and mental demands of the papacy.
Despite his age and health problems, Francis has remained very active in recent months and in September he completed a trip with four countries-the longest of his papacy in terms of duration and distance.
“I'm fine,” said Paus Franciscus in January. “The church is controlled with the help of the head and heart, not the legs.”
He said that “in the beginning it was embarrassing to use a wheelchair, but old age never comes naturally, and it must be accepted for what it is.”
The pope repeated that he does physiotherapy twice a week, uses a walking stick and takes as many steps as he can when he continues.
