Sawt Falasteen - Pope Francis hospitalised with bronchitis

Francis, who has been breathless in recent days and has delegated officials to read his speeches, was admitted following his morning audiences, the Vatican said.

He was hospitalised at Rome's Gemelli hospital for "some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue treatment for ongoing bronchitis in a hospital setting", according to the Vatican.

The Argentine pontiff, who took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013, will be staying in a suite used exclusively by popes, which has its own chapel.

The pope, who had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man, has been suffering with breathing difficulties for over a week, asking aides several times to read his speeches aloud on his behalf.

At his weekly general audience on Wednesday, a breathless Francis said he "cannot yet" read his own speeches, adding with a smile: "I hope that next time I can."

He also held meetings at home on February 6 and 7 in an attempt to rest and recover.

Francis was admitted to hospital for three nights in March 2023 with bronchitis, which was cured with antibiotics.

And in December that year he had to cancel a visit to Dubai to participate in the United Nations COP28 climate change conference due to another bout of bronchitis.

- Defying health woes -

The Argentine pontiff has been plagued in recent years by health issues, including an inflamed colon. He also underwent surgery for a hernia.

He has been using a wheelchair since 2022 due to persistent knee pain and uses a cane during rare moments standing up.

He has also fallen a couple of times in the past few months, bruising his forearm in January and sporting a large bruise on his right jaw in December, caused by toppling from his bed.

Despite his health troubles, Francis rarely rests. In September, he completed a four-nation trip, the longest of his papacy in terms of duration and distance.

He never takes holidays and keeps a busy schedule, sometimes with a dozen meetings in one morning.

Francis's health issues regularly spark speculation over his future, particularly as his predecessor, Benedict XVI, quit over failing health in 2013.

While Francis has left open the option of resigning should he be unable to carry out his duties, he has said that for now he is going nowhere.

In a memoir published last year, Francis wrote that he did "not have any cause serious enough to make me think of resigning".

Resignation is a "distant possibility" that would be justified only in the event of "a serious physical impediment", he wrote.

Z.AlNajjar--SF-PST