ROME (AP) — Pope Francis spent his second night time in a Rome hospital “serenely” as he receives antibiotics intravenously to deal with bronchitis, the Vatican stated Friday.
A Vatican official, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of the knowledge wasn’t a proper Holy See assertion, indicated there could be an replace on the pope’s hospitalization later within the day.
The 86-year-old pontiff was taken to Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic on Wednesday after he returned to his Vatican residence following his customary weekly public viewers in St. Peter’s Sq.. The Vatican reported he had skilled issue respiration within the earlier days.
A Vatican spokesman, citing hospital medical employees, supplied the exact prognosis Thursday night time, saying that Francis has bronchitis, contracted by an an infection, and that the antibiotic remedy had resulted in a “marked” enchancment in his well being.
The hospitalization got here 4 days earlier than Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.
On account of a power knee downside, Francis had already largely stopped celebrating Mass at main Catholic Church holy days however had continued to preside on the ceremonies and ship homilies.
The Vatican hasn’t stated when Francis could be launched from the hospital. However in an announcement late Thursday, it stated that based mostly on how Francis’ restoration was going, “he might be discharged within the subsequent days.”
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re stated Friday that Francis could be discharged Saturday and would thus be capable to preside over – however not have fun – Holy Week ceremonies.
“On the premise of the knowledge I’ve, he’ll go away Gemelli tomorrow, so he’ll be capable to preside over all of the Holy Week rituals,” Italian information company Adnkronos quoted the cardinal as saying.
Re, who at age 89 is dean of the Faculty of Cardinals, didn’t say if his data got here from the Vatican or the hospital,
Whether or not docs clear Francis to preside over and even attend the numerous Holy Week observances was unclear. The appointments embody a stamina-taxing, late-night Manner of the Cross procession marked by prayers on Good Friday on the Colosseum in Rome and Easter Mass on April 9, which is historically adopted by an extended papal speech delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Throughout Wednesday’s hour-long public viewers, Francis at occasions appeared visibly in ache when he moved about and was helped by aides.
