ROME. Pope Francis is currently receiving intravenous antibiotics to address a lung inflammation, prompting a reduction in his appointments, as confirmed by the Vatican on Monday.
The Pontiff disclosed his health condition on Sunday, citing the inflammation as the reason for missing his usual weekly appearance in St. Peter’s Square. Instead, he delivered his blessings from the chapel within the Vatican hotel where he resides.
Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican’s press office, issued a statement on Monday revealing that the inflammation has led to respiratory challenges for Pope Francis, who will turn 87 next month. Bruni reassured the public that the Pope’s condition is stable, without a fever, and showing clear improvement in respiratory functions. A CT scan conducted on Saturday in a Rome hospital ruled out pneumonia.
In support of the Pope’s recovery, Bruni stated that certain significant commitments scheduled for the coming days would be postponed to allow him to focus on recuperation. However, appointments of an institutional nature or those easier to maintain given the current health conditions will proceed as planned.
While Bruni did not specify the postponed appointments, Pope Francis, on Monday morning, hosted the president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, in a private half-hour-long audience at his residence, bypassing the usual Apostolic Palace venue.
Despite adjustments to his schedule, Pope Francis expressed his commitment to a three-day trip to the United Arab Emirates starting on December 1. During this visit, he intends to deliver a speech on climate change at the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate talks.
During Sunday’s blessing, a visible bandage on the Pope’s right hand indicated the ongoing intravenous treatment for his lung inflammation.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
