ROME

Pope Francis has developed “bilateral pneumonia,” the Vatican said Tuesday, adding that new tests showed a further complication in the pontiff’s clinical conditions.

“Laboratory tests, chest x-rays and the clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to present a complex picture,” the Vatican said in a statement issued in the late afternoon.

Francis, 88, was admitted at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Friday with breathing difficulties due to bronchitis.

The Vatican said the polymicrobial infection the pope is suffering from has required “the use of antibiotic cortisone therapy, making the therapeutic treatment more complex.”

Nevertheless, it added, Francis remained in “good spirits” and asked “with a grateful heart” to continue to pray for him.

The Vatican also said the pope received the Eucharist on Tuesday morning and, throughout the day, alternated rest with prayers and readings.

The Vatican had announced earlier that Francis would not be attending events for deacons scheduled for this weekend and delegated a prelate to celebrate mass for him on Sunday.

This is the fourth time Francis has been hospitalized at the Gemelli hospital. In 2021, he had colon surgery there, while he was treated for a respiratory infection in 2023, leaving the hospital after three days. He was then hospitalized a few months later to undergo abdominal surgery for a hernia.

The pope's fragile health has sparked increasing worries about the future of his pontificate. Francis has said several times he would be ready to step down if his health conditions do not allow him to continue his mission.