POPE Francis has been hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis and double pneumonia, the worst health scare of the pontiff in recent years, prompting Philippine Catholic institutions to initiate a nationwide prayer.
Francis was admitted to A. Gemelli Hospital where he was diagnosed with polymicrobial respiratory tract infection, or a mix of bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites growing in someone’s lungs.
He also developed pneumonia in both of his lungs.
Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula called on the faithful to pray for Pope Francis during a prayer vigil on Feb. 21 at the Manila Cathedral.
“Let us storm heaven with our supplications. Let us accompany Pope Francis with our loving prayers and entrust him to the Lord’s healing hand as well as his doctors, nurses, and medical professionals,” he said in a circular on Feb 20.
In a circular on Wednesday, UST also urged Thomasians to pray for the pontiff.
“[T]he University appeals to the Thomasian community for fervent prayers for the healing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as well as for all the doctors and nurses who are taking care of him,” UST said.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and the Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines have also issued similar calls for prayers.
Six days after his hospitalization, the Vatican said the pope’s condition showed a “slight improvement” and he spent another peaceful night in the hospital after he “got up and had breakfast in his armchair.”
The 88-year-old pontiff has a history of lung problems. Part of his lung was removed in 1957 due to a severe respiratory infection.
In 2021, the pope underwent surgery to remove a section of his colon. In 2023, he was hospitalized for three days in Gemelli for acute pneumonia and underwent abdominal surgery to remove scar tissue.
