Pope spent a quiet night in hospital, ANSA says

ROME (Reuters) : Pope Francis, who is suffering from a respiratory infection, has spent a quiet night in hospital, the Italian news agency ANSA reported on Saturday.

The pontiff, 88, has been suffering from bronchitis for more than a week and was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for treatment on Friday morning.

According to Vatican sources quoted by ANSA, the Pope had a peaceful night and his fever had gone down.

“There is optimism about the new therapy which began yesterday,” ANSA added.

The Vatican said on Friday evening that Francis had undergone diagnostic tests, which indicated a respiratory tract infection. Vatican officials have not yet given an official update on Saturday.

Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years. As a young adult he developed a case of pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed, and in recent times he has been prone to lung infections.

Francis has been suffering with respiratory issues since mid-December. He begged off reading statements at several of his public events in January and February, attending the occasions but asking aides to read his prepared remarks.

Gemelli hospital, Rome’s largest, has a special suite for treating popes. Francis spent nine days there in June 2023, when he had surgery to repair an abdominal hernia.