Catholic leaders pray for Pope Francis amid hospitalization

Pope Francis greets members of the Gaudium Et Spes Foundation at the Vatican on Feb. 14, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Feb 14, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

Catholic leaders across the U.S. and the world united in prayer Friday for Pope Francis after it was reported the 88-year-old had been hospitalized with bronchitis. 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) shared on social media that the bishops “join in prayer for the Holy Father during his hospitalization.”

The pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Friday to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis after being sick for over a week, the Vatican said. His appointments for the next three days have been canceled.

The U.S. bishops also shared a prayer for Pope Francis:

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,

look favorably on your servant Francis,

whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;

Grant, we pray, that by word and example

he may be of service to those over whom he presides

so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,

he may come to everlasting life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the

unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Hispanophone Catholic leaders from around the world expressed their spiritual closeness with the pope as well, with bishops from Spain, Central America, and Francis’ native Argentina offering assurances of prayer Feb. 14. 

The pope’s health 

The octogenarian pope’s health has been a recurring concern in recent years, marked by a range of medical issues that have led to canceled appointments and trips, and have necessitated the pope’s frequent use of mobility assistance.

In December 2020, he reported suffering from a surge of sciatic pain — a condition he has lived with for years — which recurred in January 2021, causing him to cancel public appearances. July 2021 saw him hospitalized for colon issues, leading to a significant surgery to address stricture of the colon caused by diverticulitis. He spent 11 days in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital recovering from the surgery.

January 2022 brought significant knee pain and inflammation, which led the pope to cancel events. By May 2022, he was using a wheelchair regularly and undergoing rehabilitation. His knee issues also caused the postponement of a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, originally scheduled for July 2022. He eventually made that trip in early 2023. 

Though he announced the return of his diverticulitis in January 2023, he maintained that he was in good health. He was briefly hospitalized with a respiratory infection in March 2023. 

June 2023 saw Pope Francis undergo another abdominal surgery to repair an incisional hernia, and later that year he was treated for lung inflammation and breathing difficulties. 

In late 2024 and again in early 2025, Pope Francis suffered falls, the former causing a prominent bruise on his chin and the latter causing a contusion on his right forearm. The Vatican had described his current condition as a “cold” before his present hospitalization. 

This is a developing story.