The leader of the world’s Roman Catholic Church has been hospitalized in Rome and forced to cancel all public activities through the weekend, according to news reports.
Pope Francis, 88, was active Friday morning, meeting with the prime minister of Slovakia and other dignitaries, according to the Associated Press.
However, he appeared in ill health and, according to CNN, was “struggling to speak for extended periods.”
Francis has suffered from bronchitis for the past week, according to the AP, and it was evident before his hospitalization.
“On Friday, he appeared bloated and pale during the handful of audiences he held before going to the hospital,” the AP reported. “The bloating appeared to indicate that the medication he was taking to help treat the lung infection was making him retain water.”
He showed similar symptoms at his general audience on Wednesday:
Despite bronchitis, Pope Francis held his General Audience, urging prayer and penance for peace. Unable to speak fully, he asked Fr. Giroli to read his catechesis, expressing hope to recover soon. Let us unite in prayer for Pope Francis’ health. pic.twitter.com/OJX7qTH8Dd
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) February 12, 2025
Francis’ health has been a concern from virtually the start of his papacy in 2013 when he succeeded the retiring Benedict XVI.
As a young man, the Argentine native had to have part of a lung removed because of a severe respiratory infection, the AP reported.
In 2021, he had part of his colon removed because of diverticulitis, according to the AP. In recent years, failing health has forced him to use a wheelchair and, as recently as September, was forced to cancel public appearances because of “flu-like” symptoms, the AP reported at the time.
Of course, the pontiff hasn’t been without political controversy during more than a decade in the Vatican.
He has shown a clear distaste for American conservatives and was an outspoken critic of now-President Donald Trump as far back as 2016, when he opposed then-candidate Trump and called him “not a Christian” because of his plans to crack down on illegal immigration.
On Monday, he released an open letter to the bishops of the United States opposing what the letter described as “mass deportation” of illegal immigrants.
That strikes even many practicing American Catholics as hypocritical, considering that some of the most famous professing Catholics in American politics are former President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrats whose political party fervently embraces abortion — a practice Catholic dogma considers equivalent to murder.
He has also made plenty of opponents by seemingly taking a liberal stance on issues such as homosexuality (though the Catholic Church remains firm on the sanctity of marriage) and allowing a symbol of Hamas terrorism to be placed in a Vatican nativity scene.
He has also made it clear that there are limits to conservative dissent he will allow in the church.
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Francis is expected to be in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital at least through Monday, the AP reported.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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