Pope Francis requires additional hospital care due to a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract, according to the Vatican’s press office. The 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for treatment and diagnostic tests.
Despite his health issues, Francis remains in good spirits and continues to check in on the parish priest of the Catholic Church in Gaza, with whom he has been in regular contact since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas in 2023. His general audience this week has been canceled.