Pope Francis Certain He 'Won't Make It This Time' Amid 'Complex' Hospitalization: Report

A recent report suggests that Pope Francis holds a grim outlook on his recovery following a pneumonia diagnosis affecting both lungs.

According to NBC, the 88-year-old pope was initially hospitalized due to severe bronchitis, but subsequent medical evaluations confirmed pneumonia in both lungs.

On Monday, the Vatican announced that Francis had a "polymicrobial infection," which presented a "complex clinical picture."

Following years of health challenges, a Politico report indicated that the pope has been enduring significant pain "and has privately expressed certainty he won’t make it this time." The report cited unnamed sources.

Francis was taken to the hospital on Friday after initially resisting admission.

Politico referenced an undisclosed source who claimed that the pope was warned he could face fatal consequences if he did not seek hospital care.

Even if he recovers from this health scare, discussions regarding his eventual successor are becoming more prominent, the report noted.

"He may not die now, but of course, he eventually will," Politico quoted a Vatican official as saying. "We all die — and he’s an 88-year-old man with lung problems."

The Vatican stated that the pope’s polymicrobial infection stemmed from asthmatic bronchitis and bronchiectasis. The latter condition, characterized by the widening of airways, leads to mucus buildup, increasing the risk of infection, as reported by The Washington Post.

Francis is currently undergoing antibiotic cortisone therapy as part of his treatment, according to Vatican officials.

In 2021, he was hospitalized for colon surgery that involved removing 13 inches of his intestine. The following year, in March 2023, he was treated for pneumonia, and in June 2023, he underwent abdominal surgery. Additionally, he suffered injuries from falls in both December and January.

The Washington Post reported that prior to his latest hospitalization, Francis "had appeared bloated and weak," frequently struggling to speak and delegating tasks that required reading aloud.

On Wednesday, the Vatican stated that Francis "spent a peaceful night, woke up and had breakfast," as reported by The New York Times.

According to Politico, Francis has been working to solidify the reforms he has implemented within the Roman Catholic Church to ensure they endure beyond his tenure.

To this end, on Feb. 6, he confirmed that Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re would continue as dean of the College of Cardinals, a position that plays a crucial role in selecting the next pope.

Additionally, on Saturday, Francis appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini as the first woman governor of Vatican City.