Pope Francis has respiratory infection, needs hospital treatment

Earlier in the day, Pope attended his weekly general audience at the Vatican and had appeared in good health, arriving at St. Peter Square in the pope's mobile and greeting children on the way.

The pontiff was then unexpectedly taken to the hospital for tests. The Vatican initially said the check-up had been scheduled, but Italian media questioned that, saying a television interview with the Pope set for Wednesday afternoon had been cancelled at the last moment.

A second statement released by the Vatican later said Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend "a few days" in a hospital for treatment. It added that tests showed he had the infection but did not have Covid-19.

"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the Vatican said.

Pope Francis suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon, and had an operation at the Gemelli hospital in 2021 to remove part of his colon.

He said in January that the condition had returned and that it was causing him to put on weight, but that he was not overly concerned. He did not elaborate.

He also has a problem with his knee and alternates between using a cane and a wheelchair in his public appearances.

Faithful in Pope's Argentine hometown hope for his speedy recovery

In Pope Francis' Buenos Aires neighbourhood, residents are praying for the Pontiff's speedy recovery.

Pope Francis grew up in the Argentine capital's Flores neighbourhood, and the Pontiff's influence has significant sway over many locals.

Engineer Santiago Goggi, 40, told Reuters he hopes Francis will make it back to Argentina while he is still Pope.

Marcela Mazzini, a professor at Francis' local seminary, hopes the Pope will soon return to work to carry out reforms in the Catholic Church.

The parish priest at San Jose de las Flores basilica, Martin Bourdieu, said faithful flocked to the church to pray for the Pope's health as soon as they heard of his ill health.

Argentina's Fernandez says he and Biden 'concerned' about Pope's health

Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez said on Wednesday that he and US President Joe Biden were "concerned" about the health of Pope Francis.

Fernandez was in Washington for talks with Biden when the issue of the Pope's health was mentioned, according to Fernandez.

Francis is sometimes short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems, having had part of one lung removed in his early 20s when training to be a priest in his native Argentina.

His latest hospitalization comes ahead of a Palm Sunday service on April 2 that marks the start of a hectic week of ceremonies leading to Easter Sunday on April 9, throwing into doubt whether he would be able to lead them as customary.

Reuters