According to the Vatican, a trip to the hospital was already scheduled; The pontiff’s health has sparked speculation about the possibility of him resigning from office
O Pope Francis returned to the Gemelli hospital in Pomegranate, this Tuesday, the 6th, just over two months after suffering from bronchitis, however, this time it was to carry out medical examinations en route. “This morning, Pope Francis attended the Gemelli polyclinic hospital to undergo clinical examinations. He returned to Vatican before noon,” Holy See spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. According to the Italian press, the Argentine pontiff spent less than an hour at the Gemelli hospital, where he was treated at the end of March for a respiratory infection. The pope has no public audiences scheduled for Tuesdays. Wednesday’s general audience at the Vatican has been confirmed, according to the official agenda. At the end of May, Francis was forced to have a day off at the end of May due to an episode of fever, which the Vatican Secretary of State attributed to fatigue. According to the newspaper ‘La Repubblica’, which quoted a Vatican source, Tuesday’s exams were scheduled. In March, the Vatican announced that the pope had attended the same hospital for tests already scheduled. But he later admitted that Francisco was having breathing difficulties and that he had an infection that required antibiotic treatment. He was diagnosed with bronchitis and stayed in hospital for three nights before returning to the Vatican to preside over Easter ceremonies. When asked how he was doing at the time of discharge, the pope replied, with a big smile: “I’m still alive.”
The pope’s health is something that has caused concern and speculation, especially after he declared on several occasions that he would consider resigning, as did his predecessor Benedict XVI, who died in December, in case of a serious state of health, but recently stated that the idea was not was in their plans. Last year he faced several problems. He has persistent pain in his right knee, as well as sciatica, and his hospitalization for bronchitis has caused great concern. The pope declared two weeks ago, in an interview with the Telemundo channel, that the “pneumonia” was treated “in time”. When talking about the pain in his knee that forced him to use a wheelchair or walk with the help of a cane, Francisco said he was “much better”. “I can walk now, the knee is improving. Some days it’s more painful, like today, and other days it’s not. But it’s part of the development,” he explained. Despite health problems, Francisco maintains his travel routine. The Holy released Francis’ program for his next trip abroad: Lisbon, from August 2nd to 6th, for the World Youth Days. The pontiff, however, acknowledged in July 2022 that he needed to slow down. “At my age and with this limitation (reference to knee problems), I have to take care of myself a little to be able to serve the Church”, he declared.
*With information from AFP
Source: Jovempan
I have been working as a journalist for over 10 years. In that time, I have covered the news from all corners of the world, and written about everything from politics to business.I’m now a full-time author, and my work can be found at Global happenings. My aim is to bring you up-to-date news and views on global affairs, in a format that is easy to read and understand.
