New concerns about the health of the pontiff. Pope Francis, 86, was hospitalized Wednesday, March 29 in Rome. He suffers from a respiratory infection and will remain hospitalized "a few days," the director of the Holy See press service, Matteo Bruni, said in a statement.
The examinations "highlighted a respiratory infection (excluding Covid 19 infection) which will require a few days of medical care in the hospital," he said.
Earlier, a Vatican source said Francis' planner had been taken to the Roman Gemelli Hospital for medical examinations.
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The Italian press had questioned Bruni's initial statement that the medical check-up was scheduled, reporting the last-minute cancellation of a televised interview the pope was scheduled to give in the afternoon.
Thus, Corriere della Sera reported that the pope had been transported by ambulance to the hospital after "heart problems".
Francis had taken part in the Vatican's weekly general audience earlier in the day. He had appeared healthy.
The pope announced this year that he was again suffering from diverticulitis - an inflammation or infection of the colon - for which he had surgery in 2021, indicating that he had gained weight because of it but ensuring that he was not particularly worried.
With AFP and Reuters
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