Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs, Vatican says

The 88-year-old pontiff remains hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli hospital with a respiratory infection. The Holy See said the health of the leader of the Catholic Church remains complex.

The Vatican confirmed on Tuesday that Pope Francis is suffering from bilateral pneumonia and that his clinical condition is "complex" given that his condition has forced a change in the therapy he was receiving.

"The follow-up chest CT scan which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon," the bulletin said, "demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy." Despite his condition, the Holy Father remains fever-free and in good spirits. In the last few hours he has had a normal breakfast, received the Eucharist and devoted himself to reading.

Pope Francis is accompanied by his two secretaries, who bring him some documents and newspapers, while the pontiff carries out some work activities, although he has been advised to rest completely.

For this reason, the Vatican also confirmed that, for the moment, his agenda until Sunday has been cancelled and that at the Mass on the occasion of the Jubilee of Deacons he will be replaced by the head of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Rino Fisichella, while it is not known whether there will be any way for him to celebrate the Sunday Angelus prayer.

Despite his hospitalisation and the advice of his professionals, Francis remains active: last night he spoke again with the parish of the Holy Family, the only Catholic church in Gaza, as explained to the Italian media by its parish priest, the Argentine priest Gabriel Romanelli, and in the last few hours he fired a Canadian bishop accused of abuse.

Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital in "regular" condition on Friday, after the bronchitis he had been suffering from for a week worsened. On Monday, doctors determined he was suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory infection, meaning a mix of viruses, bacteria and possibly other organisms had lodged in his respiratory tract.

The Vatican has not indicated how long he might remain in hospital, but noted that treatment for such a "complex clinical picture" - which has already required two changes to his medication regimen - would require an "appropriate" stay. His family has asked for prayers for his health.