Pope Francis will remain in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for ongoing treatment of a respiratory infection, with no set timeline for his release, the Vatican said Saturday.
“We will see how he reacts to treatment,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told reporters, adding that there is no precise discharge date at this time.
Bruni said the 88-year-old pontiff slept well Friday night and did not develop a fever overnight. He is expected to continue receiving diagnostic tests throughout the day. A Vatican official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Francis remained fever-free on Saturday morning.
Pope Francis, who has been battling bronchitis for over a week, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Friday morning for treatment. The facility, Rome’s largest hospital, has a special suite reserved for popes and was frequently used by the late Pope John Paul II.
This marks the second time in recent months that Francis has been hospitalized at Gemelli. In June 2023, he spent nine days there recovering from abdominal hernia surgery.
Outside the hospital on Saturday, well-wishers gathered under a statue of Pope John Paul II to pray for Francis’s recovery.
“We found out yesterday morning with sadness,” said Giovanni Di Muro, an Italian visiting his son at the hospital. “We hope it’s nothing serious and that everything will be fine.”
The Vatican previously stated that diagnostic tests confirmed the pope has a respiratory tract infection.
Pope Francis, who has led the Catholic Church since 2013, has experienced several health challenges in recent years. As a young man, he underwent surgery to remove part of one lung due to pleurisy, making him more vulnerable to respiratory infections.
Since mid-December, he has struggled with ongoing respiratory issues, frequently delegating speeches at public events in January and February to aides while attending in person.
Despite his health setbacks, Francis has continued to fulfill many of his papal duties, but the Vatican has not provided a timeline for his return to full activity.
