VATICAN CITY, Feb 14, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Francis was admitted to hospital 
in Rome on Friday for tests and treatment for bronchitis, the Vatican said, 
the latest in a series of health problems for the 88-year-old pontiff.

Francis, who has been breathless in recent days and has delegated officials 
to read his speeches, was admitted following his morning audiences, the 
Vatican said.

He was hospitalised at Rome's Gemelli hospital for "some necessary diagnostic 
tests and to continue treatment for ongoing bronchitis in a hospital 
setting", according to the Vatican.

The Argentine pontiff, who took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013, 
will be staying in a suite used exclusively by popes, which has its own 
chapel.

The pope, who had part of one of his lungs removed as a young man, has been 
suffering with breathing difficulties for over a week, asking aides several 
times to read his speeches aloud on his behalf.

At his weekly general audience on Wednesday, a breathless Francis said he 
"cannot yet" read his own speeches, adding with a smile: "I hope that next 
time I can."

He also held meetings at home on February 6 and 7 in an attempt to rest and 
recover.

Francis was admitted to hospital for three nights in March 2023 with 
bronchitis, which was cured with antibiotics.

And in December that year he had to cancel a visit to Dubai to participate in 
the United Nations COP28 climate change conference due to another bout of 
bronchitis.

- Defying health woes -

The Argentine pontiff has been plagued in recent years by health issues, 
including an inflamed colon. He also underwent surgery for a hernia.

He has been using a wheelchair since 2022 due to persistent knee pain and 
uses a cane during rare moments standing up.

He has also fallen a couple of times in the past few months, bruising his 
forearm in January and sporting a large bruise on his right jaw in December, 
caused by toppling from his bed.

Despite his health troubles, Francis rarely rests. In September, he completed 
a four-nation trip, the longest of his papacy in terms of duration and 
distance.

He never takes holidays and keeps a busy schedule, sometimes with a dozen 
meetings in one morning.

Francis's health issues regularly spark speculation over his future, 
particularly as his predecessor, Benedict XVI, quit over failing health in 
2013.

While Francis has left open the option of resigning should he be unable to 
carry out his duties, he has said that for now he is going nowhere.

In a memoir published last year, Francis wrote that he did "not have any 
cause serious enough to make me think of resigning".

Resignation is a "distant possibility" that would be justified only in the 
event of "a serious physical impediment", he wrote.