Pope Francis was transported by ambulance to Rome’s hospital on Wednesday, after suffering from apparent respiratory problems. This cancels several scheduled audiences. Doctors are keeping Pope Francis under observation.
According to Matteo Bruni (Holy See Press Office director), Pope Francis had been scheduled to visit the Gemelli Polyclinic, Rome for “some previously scheduled checks-ups.”

According to Italian media, Pope Francis was able to carry out his Wednesday morning audience. However, he also cancelled an interview with Lorena Bianchetti on the TV program “A Sua Immagine”. He was then taken by ambulance to the hospital, according newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano.

View of the statue of Pope John Paul II at Gemelli hospital, Rome on March 29, 2023. This is where Pope Francis was admitted for “previously scheduled medical checks”, according to a Vatican spokesperson.

According to the newspaper, Pope Francis could be suffering from asthma and chronic bronchitis due to stress. The Pope had a CT scan done by doctors but it was negative. Doctors wanted to continue observation of him at the hospital for the next few days.

According to some, the Pope has canceled events for at most the next two days. However, this claim is not supported by the Vatican.

Pope Francis was recently diagnosed with a possible health problem after he had colonic surgery in July 2021. He remained in hospital for ten more days.

Luis Badilla (editor of Il Sismografo, semi-official Vatican news aggregator) claimed that Pope Francis was in a “severe” health condition shortly after 2021 surgery. He stated, “The Holy Papa will definitely return to the Vatican to continue his footsteps as Peter, but he will never again be the same.”

Pope Francis has been seen frequently using a wheelchair and a stick over the past year due to difficulty in walking. This is largely due to an injury to his right ligament. Pope Francis had knee surgery in May last year.