Pope Francis is feeling better and “gradually improving” after he was unexpectedly hospitalized for a respiratory infection, the Vatican said on Thursday, although it was not clear whether he would be discharged in time for the start of Easter-related ceremonies.
Few details were available about the condition of the pope, who is 86, but the Vatican added that he slept well during the night, ate breakfast, read some newspapers and resumed working. He also prayed in the small chapel inside the papal private hospital suite, suggesting that he was able to move from his bed.
Cameras and reporters were stationed outside the Policlinico A. Gemelli hospital in Rome, where popes usually receive medical treatment, as global news media outlets waited for updates about his condition.
It was too early to determine whether Francis would be able to attend several ceremonies he was expected to take part in before Easter — starting with the Palm Sunday celebrations this weekend, leading into Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday on April 9. But the statement suggested that he was on the path to recovery.
“His clinical picture is gradually improving, and he is continuing his planned treatment,” the Vatican statement said of the pope, who has been dealing with several other health issues in recent years.
The statement did not say when the pope would be released, but a statement on Wednesday said that Francis was expected to spend a “few days” at the Gemelli hospital. He was taken there on Wednesday afternoon for a respiratory infection after attending his weekly audience in the morning.
Hours after announcing that the pope had been hospitalized, the Vatican said that Francis had been taken to the clinic after complaining in recent days about respiratory difficulties. The results “excluded” a coronavirus infection, but doctors determined that “several days of appropriate hospital medical treatment” were necessary, the Vatican said.
Initially, the Vatican said that the pope had been taken to the hospital for some planned treatment, but it later said that he had been there because of the respiratory difficulties, which required more thorough tests.
The pope underwent a chest CT scan and other tests, the Italian news agency ANSA reported, and the results of the medical checks, including his blood’s oxygen saturation, came as a relief to his entourage, the news agency said.
The Holy See has not clarified exactly what forced him to seek treatment at the hospital, leaving room for the Italian news media to speculate about the exact nature of his problems. He has faced several health challenges.
For years, he has experienced knee problems and sciatica that have recently required him to use a wheelchair in some situations.
In 2021, he underwent major intestinal surgery at the Gemelli hospital, and the Vatican did not announce that he was having surgery until he was already inside the hospital As a young man, Francis had severe pneumonia and had part of a lung removed.
“I am touched by the many messages received in these hours,” Francis wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “And I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer.”
