WUFT-TV/FM | WJUF-FM
1200 Weimer Hall | P.O. Box 118405
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 392-5551

A service of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.

© 2025 WUFT / Division of Media Properties
News and Public Media for North Central Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Pope Francis has acute respiratory crises, the Vatican says

Flowers, balloons, candles and other items are laid outside Gemelli hospital in Rome, on Feb. 26, where Pope Francis is being treated.
Claire Harbage
/
NPR
Flowers, balloons, candles and other items are laid outside Gemelli hospital in Rome, on Feb. 26, where Pope Francis is being treated.

ROME — Pope Francis experienced further respiratory trouble and went on noninvasive ventilation on Monday, the Vatican said, as the head of the Roman Catholic Church battles double pneumonia in the hospital.

The pope suffered two episodes of acute respiratory crisis, with a "significant accumulation" of mucus in his lungs and bronchial spasms, the Vatican said in a statement.

It said Francis then underwent two bronchoscopies to try to remove the large mucus secretions. He then received noninvasive mechanical ventilation.

The developments come as the 88-year-old pontiff entered a third week in Rome's Gemelli hospital. He was hospitalized on Feb. 14 following a bout of bronchitis.

"The Holy Father remained alert, oriented and cooperative at all times," the statement said Monday. "The prognosis remains guarded."

Copyright 2025 NPR

Tags
Ruth Sherlock
Ruth Sherlock is an International Correspondent with National Public Radio. She's based in Beirut and reports on Syria and other countries around the Middle East. She was previously the United States Editor for the Daily Telegraph, covering the 2016 US election. Before moving to the US in the spring of 2015, she was the Telegraph's Middle East correspondent.

Subscribe to The Point newsletter

Sign up to get a daily morning email with a roundup of all the need-to-know news and information from our area and the state of Florida, curated by WUFT News.

* indicates required