Pope Francis is resting well after he was transported to the hospital Wednesday afternoon for difficulty breathing.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, issued a statement Thursday revealing the Holy Father’s “clinical picture is progressively improving and he is continuing with his planned treatment.”
The 86-year-old pontiff reportedly enjoyed breakfast before reading the morning’s newspaper and resuming work. He also visited a chapel of a private apartment and received the Eucharist before lunch.
The Pope expressed his gratitude for everyone’s prayers and well wishes via Twitter.
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Pope Francis was unexpectedly rushed to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital after he presided over the weekly general audience. The Vatican initially said it was a scheduled visit, but Italian media questioned the visit when a prescheduled interview with the pope had been cancelled at the last minute.
Bruni said in a statement the pope had been taken to the hospital for tests because in recent days he had “complained of some respiratory difficulties.”
When he was a teen he suffered an infection and as a result had part of one of his lungs removed.
Vatican officials stated the pope would remain at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for a “few days” to receive “appropriate medical treatment,” though they did not release information on a diagnosis or what the treatment would entail.
“The outcome of these [tests] showed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy,” Bruni said.
Let us all join together and pray for the health of Pope Francis.
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