Pope Francis: the health problems that have plagued the pontiff throughout his life

Pope Francis , hospitalized with pneumonia in both lungs and showing slight signs of improvement, "rested well" during the night, the Vatican said Tuesday morning in a statement on the health of the 88-year-old pontiff, who has already completed thirteen days of hospitalization in Rome, the longest since he was elected leader of Catholics in 2013.

Although doctors have so far given no prognosis for the Argentine Jesuit, hospitalized on Feb. 14 with breathing difficulties and bronchitis , conditions that later worsened, the Holy See offered a more optimistic update Monday, saying that Jorge Mario Bergoglio had experienced "a slight improvement."

" The Holy Father's clinical condition, although still critical, has shown a slight improvement. There were no episodes of asthmatic respiratory crisis today; some laboratory tests have improved," the Holy See wrote in a statement on Monday evening. On the other hand, the "mild renal insufficiency" that he has been suffering from since Sunday "is not worrying," the Holy See said on Monday.

However, this is not the first time that the world has closely followed the evolution of the Holy Father's health in the face of a breakdown, and during his life outside the Chair of St. Peter he has also faced various difficulties, for example, the removal of the upper lobe of his lung at the age of 21 after a severe case of pneumonia.

Already as pontiff, in 2021, Francis underwent surgery on July 4 for severe diverticular stenosis with signs of sclerosing diverticulitis , in which part of his colon was removed and for which he was hospitalized for 10 days.

Since 2022, he has been seen using a cane and sometimes even uses a wheelchair due to pain in his right knee . "I have a torn ligament, I will undergo surgery with injections and we will see. I have been like this for a long time, I cannot walk," said Francis at the time, who suffers from osteoarthritis that has affected a ligament, but who should not have undergone surgery, according to Vatican sources.

In 2023, he underwent a successful laparotomy under general anesthesia for an abdominal incisional hernia at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, probably produced after the colon operation he underwent in July 2022 and which could cause intestinal obstruction.

In March this year, he spent three nights in the same hospital for treatment for bronchitis. In December, he was forced to cancel his trip to the United Arab Emirates for the COP28 climate summit due to similar health problems.

The pontiff, who has also struggled with chronic sciatic pain , also suffered a fall at his residence, Santa Marta, in early 2025, which caused a bruise on his right forearm, with no fractures, and he was immobilized as a precaution, the Vatican press office reported.