Pope Francis’ recent health issues

Pope Francis, who had part of a lung removed when he was 21 due an inflammation of lung tissue known as pleurisy, has experienced a string of health issues—often respiratory, joint, or intestinal—in the last few years as he entered his eighties.

Now 88, the pope was hospitalized for bronchitis earlier this month and has since been diagnosed with double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli Hospital. On Saturday, the Vatican announced that he was in critical condition after suffering a "prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis."

The next day, the Vatican said that Pope Francis had spent a "tranquil" night, and later released a statement from the pontiff himself saying that he was "confidently" continuing treatment.

Here's a brief rundown of the Pope's ailments over the last few years.

JANUARY 2021: The Pope missed a New Year's Eve service and did not preside at a New Year’s Day Mass as he suffered a flare-up of a sciatica condition that causes pain in his right leg.

JULY 2021: Pope Francis underwent a planned surgery for diverticulitis, a potentially painful inflammation of pockets that form in the colon.

JANUARY 2022: Pope Francis experienced an inflamed ligament, which caused pain in his right knee and leg.

APRIL 2022: Struggling with leg pain, the Pope used a lift to disembark the papal plane during a trip to Malta. At a Mass for about 20,000 people, he mostly sat while Valletta Archbishop Charles Scicluna led much of the liturgy.

MAY 2022: At 85 years old, Pope Francis underwent a medical procedure on his knee, which had a torn ligament.

JUNE 2022: The Pope’s planned visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan was canceled due to his ongoing knee problem, and a month earlier had used a wheelchair for a public event for the first time.

JANUARY 2023: The Pope announced that his diverticulitis had returned.

MARCH-APRIL 2023: The Vatican announced Pope Francis is expected to remain in the hospital for some days due to a respiratory infection.

JUNE 2023: Pope Francis underwent abdominal surgery under general anesthesia to repair an incisional hernia, a protrusion of tissue that forms at the healing surgical scar.

NOVEMBER 2023: After contracting a mild flu, a CT scan result showed that Pope Francis had pneumonia and lung inflammation, causing some breathing difficulties. He was treated with antibiotics intravenously.

FEBRUARY 2024: The pope cancelled some audiences due to having mild flu-like symptoms, but with no fever.

JANUARY 2025: The pope appeared with his right arm in a sling after a fall in his residence injured his forearm, but no bones were broken.

FEBRUARY 2025: Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital after experiencing difficulty breathing for several days.

The hospitalization came after the Pope said he had a cold, with the Vatican reporting later on that it was bronchitis.

Pope Francis was then diagnosed with the onset of double pneumonia, an infection that affects both lungs and can make breathing difficult.

The Vatican said Saturday, Feb. 22, the Pope’s health has deteriorated over the past 24 hours and for the first time described his condition as “critical.”

In its latest updates, the Vatican said that the Pope spent a tranquil night at the hospital and released a statement from the Pope saying he was "confidently" continuing treatment.

On Sunday, Feb. 23, the Vatican said Pope Francis remains in critical condition and has shown ''initial, slight insufficiency" in his kidney function.

On Monday, Feb. 24, the Vatican said Pope Francis, in critical condition battling double pneumonia, had a "good" night in hospital, slept and was resting. 

On Monday, Feb. 24 (Tuesday, Feb. 25 in PH), the Vatican said Pope Francis is still critically ill but his condition has shown a "slight improvement." He was still receiving oxygen, but at a slightly reduced flow and oxygen percentage.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Pope Francis remains in critical condition for the fourth day running but is stable and has not had any further respiratory crises, the Vatican said.

On Thursday, Feb. 27, Pope Francis has shown a "further, slight improvement" in his medical condition, according to the Vatican.

The following day, Feb. 28, the Vatican said that Pope Francis's health is continuing to improve. It added that the doctors have still given the pope a "guarded" prognosis because of the "complexity of the clinical picture," meaning they do not think he is out of danger yet.

On Feb. 28, the Vatican said Pope Francis will not be leading the upcoming Ash Wednesday service.

MARCH 2025: On March 1, the Pope suffers a setback as he experiences an "isolated breathing crisis" that included "an episode of vomiting with inhalation and a sudden worsening of the respiratory condition."

On March 2, the Vatican says the Pope's condition has stabilized and he has not suffered any new breathing crisis. Later in the day, the Pope sent a written message thanking well-wishers for their prayers and support.

In a later update, the Vatican said the Pope does not have a fever and no longer required the use of mechanical ventilation.

On March 3, Pope Francis suffered two episodes of "acute respiratory insufficiency" and he also suffered a bronchospasm, akin to an asthma attack, which required doctors to perform two bronchoscopies, or procedures to evaluate his air passages.

To help with breathing, the pope had to use "non-invasive, mechanical ventilation," said the statement. It said the pope's prognosis remained "guarded," which means he is not out of danger. 

On Tuesday, March 4, the Vatican said the Pope's condition has stabilized and he no longer needs the ventilator.

Then on Wednesday, March 5, Pope Francis remained in stable condition throughout the day as he carried out some work and had spent much of the day in an armchair.

On Thursday, March 6, the Vatican said Pope Francis remains stable and is doing some physical therapy. 

The next day, March 7, Pope Francis recorded and released an audio message as he thanked those who have been praying for his recovery.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square, I accompany you from here," Francis said in a message broadcast in St Peter's Square.

"May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you," he added.

The Vatican said on March 7 (March 8, PH time) that Pope Francis' condition remained stable. However, he was still in a "complex clinical condition" and "the prognosis remains guarded."

On March 8 (March 9, PH time), the Vatican said Pope Francis is showing "good response" to his treatment for double pneumonia and his overall condition is gradually improving, according to a report by Reuters.

On Sunday, March 9 (March 10, PH time), Pope Francis issued a written Angelus and thanked his doctors and healthcare workers. He also thanked those who volunteer to help others in need. His doctors said they want to see more positive results in the coming days before giving a prognosis.

While the Pope is showing signs of improvement, it is still too early to discuss his return home, a Vatican source also said Monday.

Later on Monday, March 10, the Vatican said Pope Francis is no longer in immediate danger of death and is responding well to treatment in hospital. Pope Francis is "to continue medical drug treatment in a hospital setting for further days," it added.

On Sunday, March 16, the fifth time his hospitalization prevented him from leading the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis sent a message to well-wishers. 

"I am sharing these thoughts with you while I am facing a period of trial, and I join with so many brothers and sisters who are sick: fragile, at this time, like me," wrote the Pope. "Our bodies are weak but, even like this, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being for each other, in faith, shining signs of hope."

On Friday, March 21, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez said Pope Francis is regaining his strength slowly but must "relearn to speak" after being on high-flow oxygen for a long time. He said the pontiff would not retire however and is returning to his old self.

On Saturday, March 22 (March 23, early Sunday in PH), the head of Pope Francis' medical team said the pontiff will be discharged from the hospital on Sunday. However, he will need a further two months of rest at the Vatican.

On Sunday, March 23, Pope Francis was finally discharged from the hospital and returned to Santa Marta House, his residence in the Vatican City, where he will begin a two-month convalescence on doctors' orders. — BM/KG/RSJ/ VAL/BAP, GMA Integrated News