The 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to hospital in Rome on 14 February Photo: Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP
Pope Francis has shown the onset of double pneumonia, further complicating treatment for the 88-year pontiff, the Vatican says.
"The laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to present a complex picture," said a statement.
"(A) chest CAT scan which the Holy Father received this afternoon ... showed the onset of bilaterial pneumonia that requires further pharmacological therapy," it added.
"Nevertheless, Pope Francis remains in good spirits," the statement said.
Bilaterial pneumonia is an infection that affects both lungs, and can make breathing difficult.
Francis has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on 14 February.
He is especially prone to lung infections because as a young adult he developed pleurisy and had part of one lung removed.
A Vatican official speaking on background earlier in the day, said the pontiff had not been put on a ventilator and was breathing on his own.
Ahead of the latest statement, the Vatican announced that all public events on the pope's calendar had been cancelled through Sunday.
The pope had been due to lead several events over the weekend for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, which runs through to next January.
It is a special time of pardon and forgiveness for Catholics and the Vatican expects 32 million tourists to visit Rome throughout the year, including for a range of special audiences with Francis.
The Vatican said on Monday local time that doctors had changed the pope's drug therapy for the second time during his hospital stay to tackle a "complex clinical situation". They described it as a "polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract".
Doctors say a polymicrobial infection occurs when two or more micro-organisms are involved, and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.
The Vatican has said Francis will stay in hospital for as long as necessary. It has not specified whether the pope is suffering from a bacterial or viral infection.
While a bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics, viral infections cannot. Viruses usually have to run their course, but the patient can be assisted with other medicines to bring down a fever or help their body fight the infection.
- Reuters
