Pope Francis Hospitalized, 'Struggling to Speak': Report

The head of the global Roman Catholic Church has been admitted to a hospital in Rome, leading to the cancellation of all public engagements through the weekend, as reported by multiple news sources.

Pope Francis, 88, remained active on Friday morning, holding meetings with Slovakia’s prime minister and other officials, according to the Associated Press.

Despite this, his health seemed to be in decline, and as CNN noted, he was “struggling to speak for extended periods.”

Francis has been dealing with bronchitis for the past week, the AP reported, and signs of the illness were apparent before his hospitalization.

“On Friday, he appeared bloated and pale during the handful of audiences he held before going to the hospital,” the AP stated. “The bloating appeared to indicate that the medication he was taking to help treat the lung infection was making him retain water.”

Similar symptoms were observed during his general audience on Wednesday.

Concerns about Francis’ health have been ongoing since the beginning of his papacy in 2013, following the resignation of Benedict XVI.

As a young man, the Argentine-born pope had a portion of his lung removed due to a severe respiratory infection, according to the AP.

In 2021, he underwent surgery to remove part of his colon due to diverticulitis, the AP reported. In recent years, his declining health has required him to use a wheelchair, and as recently as September, he had to cancel public events due to “flu-like” symptoms, according to the AP.

Beyond his health struggles, Francis has not been without political controversy throughout his more than ten years leading the Vatican.

He has expressed clear disapproval of American conservatives and openly criticized Donald Trump as early as 2016, calling him “not a Christian” for his tough stance on illegal immigration.

This past Monday, he issued an open letter to U.S. bishops condemning what he described as “mass deportation” of illegal immigrants.

For many American Catholics, that stance appears contradictory, given that prominent self-identified Catholic politicians in the U.S.—such as former President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—are staunch supporters of abortion, a practice that Catholic doctrine equates with murder.

Francis has also drawn criticism for seemingly progressive views on topics like homosexuality (even as the Catholic Church maintains its traditional position on marriage) and for allowing a symbol associated with Hamas terrorism to be displayed in a Vatican nativity scene.

Additionally, he has demonstrated that there are limits to the conservative dissent he is willing to tolerate within the Church.

According to the AP, Francis is expected to remain in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital until at least Monday.