The health of the pope, hospitalized for bronchitis, is in “marked improvement”

The pope is better. François, hospitalized since Wednesday in Rome (Italy), suffers from a “infectious bronchitis” but receives an antibiotic treatment which allowed a “significant improvement” of his state of health. This was announced on Thursday March 30 by the medical team at Gemelli Hospital. The 86-year-old Argentine pope enjoys a “antibiotic treatment by infusion which produced the expected effects”medical staff said in a statement sent by the Vatican, adding that he could be discharged from the hospital “in the next few days”.

The pope dedicated his afternoon “to rest, to prayer and to certain tasks”, said the spokesperson for the Holy See, Matteo Bruni, in the same press release. At midday, the Vatican had already wanted to be reassuring about the state of health of the pope and had assured that he had returned to work. Jorge Bergoglio, who suffers from chronic health problems and uses a wheelchair due to knee pain, also gathered in the morning in the chapel of the private apartment reserved for the popes on the 10th floor of the university hospital. Gemelli.

Questioning about his participation in the Easter celebrations

This reassuring news comes against a backdrop of concerns after the contradictory information distilled Wednesday by the Vatican on the real state of health of the pope, which made the headlines of the international press on Thursday. After mentioning the “scheduled exams”, the Vatican spokesman finally announced on Wednesday evening that he was suffering from a “respiratory infection” unrelated to Covid-19. The Pope, who had been having difficulty breathing in recent days, must undergo treatment for “A few days”.

I am touched by the many messages received in recent hours and I express my gratitude to everyone for their closeness and their prayers.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex_fr) March 30, 2023

On Twitter, the pope said on Thursday “touched by the many messages received in recent hours”from those of the bishops of several countries to that of US President Joe Biden. “I express my gratitude to everyone for their closeness and their prayers”, he wrote. Now is the time to question the pope’s participation in the celebrations of Holy Week and Easter, the main highlight of the year in the Catholic world, on which the Vatican has not communicated.