19-2-2025 (VATICAN) Pope Francis’s health has taken a marked downturn, with the 88-year-old pontiff remaining under indefinite hospital care for a severe case of pneumonia, Vatican officials confirmed yesterday.
The latest medical assessment, which included a comprehensive chest CT scan on Tuesday, revealed the presence of bilateral pneumonia, prompting doctors to revise his treatment protocol. The Vatican’s medical team has subsequently adjusted his medication regimen to combat what they term a “complex picture” of respiratory illness.
The Pope, who was admitted to a Rome hospital last Friday, received Holy Communion on Tuesday morning, maintaining his spiritual practices despite his declining health. Through Vatican channels, he has requested the faithful to continue their prayers for his recovery.
This health crisis comes at a particularly significant moment for the Catholic Church, as it coincides with the commencement of the 2025 Jubilee Year, which the pontiff himself inaugurated during Christmas Eve celebrations last year. The historic event, occurring every quarter-century since 1300, is expected to draw an unprecedented 32 million pilgrims to Rome throughout the year.
Francis, who made history as both the first Pope from the Americas and the first non-European pontiff since the 8th century, has remained actively engaged in global affairs despite his illness. Just last week, he sparked diplomatic tension by characterising Donald Trump’s migrant deportation policies as a “major crisis”, drawing sharp criticism from the US president’s border commissioner, who suggested the pontiff should “stick to the Catholic Church”.
