He had already been treated at the Gemelli hospital at the end of March for a respiratory infection.
Pope Francis, 86 years old, underwent control medical examinations on Tuesday in the morning in the Gemelli hospital in Rome, reported the Italian media. The Supreme Pontiff had already been treated in this establishment at the end of March for a respiratory infection.
After leaving the hospital, he went to the Santa Marta residence, where he lives in the Vatican. The pope was forced to take a day off late last month due to a bout of fever, which the Vatican secretary of state attributed to exhaustion.
Francis does not have public hearings scheduled on Tuesdays. His general audience in the Vatican was confirmed for Wednesday, according to its official schedule. Tuesday’s check was planned, the newspaper Repubblica said, citing a Vatican source.
In March, the Vatican announced that the Pope was going to this same hospital for some scheduled tests, before admitting that he was experiencing difficulty breathing and that he was suffering from an infection that required antibiotic treatment. He was diagnosed with bronchitis and he stayed in the hospital for three nights, before returning to the Vatican to preside over Easter services.
When asked how he felt, he replied with a big smile: “I’m still alive!”
recurring health problems
Francis, who has been the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics for a decade, has suffered from mounting health problems over the past year. He has persistent pain in his right knee, as well as sciatica, and his hospital stay for bronchitis caused widespread concern.
Pope Francis said two weeks ago in an interview with Spanish-speaking television Telemundo that this “pneumonia” was treated “on time.” “If we had waited a little more hours, it would have been more serious,” he said.
Regarding the pain in the knee that forces him to move in a wheelchair or with the help of a cane, Francisco he said he felt “much better.”
“I can now walk, the knee has healed. There are days when it is more painful, like today, and days when it is not. But it is part of development,” he explained.
Despite his health problems, Francisco continues to travel a lot. Your next planned trip is to Lisbon from August 2 to 6 to attend World Youth Day.
However, the Pope recognized in July 2022 that he needed to slow down. “At my age and with this limitation (referring to his knee problems), I have to take care of myself a little to be able to serve the Church,” he said then.
AFP Source
