The Vatican announced on Wednesday that Pope Francis has been diagnosed with a pulmonary infection and will remain in the hospital for several days.
Despite experiencing breathing difficulties, the 86-year-old pontiff has tested negative for Covid-19.
According to spokesman Matteo Bruni, the Pope had gone to the Gemelli hospital in Rome for scheduled tests, which revealed a respiratory infection that requires medical treatment.
Previously, Francis spent 10 days at the same hospital after surgery for an intestinal narrowing. The Pope’s Palm Sunday celebration this weekend, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, will be affected by his hospitalisation.
For more than a year, Francis has used a wheelchair due to knee problems but has recently been walking more with a cane. In a January interview with the Associated Press, Francis said his diverticulosis, or bulges in the intestinal wall, had “returned”.