Pope Francis showing ‘marked improvement’ after hospitalization for respiratory infection

Pope Francis showed a “marked improvement” on Thursday, a day after he was hospitalized for a respiratory infection, the Vatican said.

The pope has been resting well and his condition improved after being given intravenous antibiotics for a bronchitis infection, according to officials. He could be released from Rome’s Gemelli hospital soon.

“The clinical picture is progressively improving, and the planned treatments continue,” Matteo Bruni, director of the Press Office of the Holy See, said in a statement.

“This morning after having breakfast, he read some newspapers and went back to work. Before lunch he went to the little chapel of the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist.”

The Pope “could be discharged in the coming days,” the statement concluded.

A previous update from the Vatican said he would stay overnight at the hospital for continued monitoring and testing.

“I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer, Francis said Thursday on Twitter.

His availability for Holy Week events, starting with Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square this weekend, remains uncertain.

The 86-year-old Jesuit was hospitalized Wednesday after having difficulty breathing. As a young man, Pope Francis suffered from lung inflammation and had part of one lung removed.

He’s also dealt with intestinal problems and broke his right knee in 2022, forcing him to use a wheelchair and cane. In a recent interview, he said he would retire like his predecessor Pope Benedict if his health deteriorated and he could not perform his job.

With News Wire Services