The clinical picture of Pope Francisco “progressively improves,” after yesterday he was admitted for a respiratory infectionand continues the indicated treatment, as confirmed by the spokesman for the Holy See, Matteo Bruni.

The 86-year-old pontiff has rested “well” During the night and this morning, after breakfast, he read some newspapers and “returned to work” from the room in the Roman Gemelli hospital where he has been hospitalized since yesterday.

Before lunch, in addition, he has gone to the chapel of the apartment in which he is in the hospital to pray and attend mass.

The pontiff “suffers from a respiratory infection that will require a few days of adequate hospital medical treatment,” the Vatican press office reported yesterday hours after being hospitalized on Wednesday afternoon. “In recent days, Pope Francis had been suffering from some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to the A. Gemelli Polyclinic for medical check-ups,” they explain from the Holy See, specifying that it is not a COVID-19 infection. 19.

According to the media, Francisco underwent a CT scan of his chest and other medical tests, which have ruled out pneumoniaand his state of health does not worry after the results.

These health problems occur just three days after Palm Sunday, which begins the rites of Holy Week, and it is still not clear if and how the pope will be able to officiate them. For now the schedule has been canceled for today, Thursday, and tomorrow, Friday.

His hospitalization caused surprise since the Vatican initially announced that the pontiff had been admitted “for previously scheduled controls”, without mentioning any reason, but the pope had scheduled an interview that same afternoon for a RAI public television program that had to be voided.

We will have to see how his condition evolves in the hospital, where he is accompanied by his personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappettiaccording to the media, to find out if he will be able to participate in the many Easter events in which his presence is scheduled.

“Pope Francis is moved by the many messages received and expresses its gratitude for the closeness and prayer,” the Vatican said in the statement.

It is the second time that Francisco has been admitted to this Roman hospital, after he underwent colon surgery on July 4, 2021, and remained hospitalized for ten days in which he came to celebrate the Angelus from the balcony of the health center. Since then, the Pope has only suffered a problem in his right knee that forces him to walk with a cane or a wheelchair and has assured on several occasions that he does not want to undergo surgery.