Pontiff is in hospital in Rome with a respiratory tract infection.

Pope Francis' respiratory tract infection will require a different course of treatment and a longer hospital stay due to the "complex clinical picture", the Vatican said on Monday.

The 88-year-old pontiff is suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory infection and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Friday with bronchitis.

Francis is "in good spirits" and slept well, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, adding that a further update on the pope's condition would be issued later on Monday.

Thank you for the affection, prayer and closeness with which you are accompanying me in these days.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 16, 2025

The pope was unable to deliver his Sunday Angelus blessing and had to cancel several events scheduled as part of the Jubilee of Artists including a visit to Rome's Cinecittà Film Studios on Monday.

The Vatican said that the pope's weekly audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday had also been cancelled due to his hospitalisation.

The Argentine pontiff, who had part of one lung removed in his 20s, has suffered from a string of medical ailments in recent years and was treated for bronchitis at the Gemelli two years ago.

Image: Pope Francis at his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on 4 December 2024. Photo credit: Riccardo De Luca - Update / Shutterstock.com.