ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is facing a “complex clinical picture” due to a respiratory tract infection, necessitating further hospitalization, according to the Vatican’s announcement on Monday. This development has raised concerns about the health of the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni revealed that recent test results indicate the pontiff is dealing with a “polymicrobial respiratory tract infection,” prompting an adjustment in his medication regimen. Experts characterize polymicrobial infections as arising from various pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.

No specific timeline has been provided regarding the pope’s hospitalization, which has already extended beyond a previous stay in 2023 for pneumonia. Bruni stated that Francis’s intricate symptoms “will require an appropriate hospital stay.”

Having undergone lung surgery due to a pulmonary infection in his youth, Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Friday in “fair” condition after experiencing a week of worsening bronchitis. Doctors confirmed the respiratory infection and recommended “absolute rest” along with unspecified treatment. Subsequent updates reported that his mild fever had subsided and that he was in “stable” condition.

Bruni noted that on Monday morning, Francis had breakfast and read the newspapers after a restful night. In a demonstration of his ongoing engagement, the parish priest from Gaza, Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, shared that Francis maintained his routine video calls with the church on Friday and Saturday evenings, sending a text message on Sunday.

“We heard his voice, which was understandably more fatigued,” Romanelli said, adding, “However, we could hear him well, and he listened attentively,” referring to the daily calls that Francis has made since the onset of the conflict.

As individuals age, their immune systems may weaken, leading to greater concerns when elderly patients face multiple health issues. Deterioration in lung function and muscle strength can occur with aging, diminishing the body’s ability to effectively clear respiratory secretions and increasing the risk for infections like pneumonia.

The Argentine pope is noted for his intense work ethic, maintaining a rigorous pace despite his “increasingly precarious health.” In addition to frequent respiratory infections in winter, he relies on a wheelchair, walker, or cane due to knee issues and experiences sciatica nerve pain. In 2021, he underwent surgery to remove a section of his colon, and in 2023, he had another operation to address intestinal scar tissue and repair an abdominal hernia.

During a severe case of pneumonia in 2023, Francis was discharged after three days and later revealed that he had been admitted urgently after experiencing faintness and chest pain. Despite feeling breathless, he insisted on completing his morning appointments on Friday before leaving the Vatican.

Francis’s ongoing hospitalization has already led to the cancellation of various events linked to the Vatican’s Holy Year, leaving others uncertain. The official Vatican calendar currently shows no papal activities planned for February, resuming on March 5, Ash Wednesday. This week’s general audience has also been canceled.

Additionally, Francis was scheduled to visit Rome’s Cinecitta film studios to meet with artists as part of the Holy Year celebrations, an event that has now been canceled by the Vatican. He was also expected to preside over the ordination of deacons during a Holy Year weekend dedicated to them. Although still mentioned on the Jubilee calendar, his participation is absent from the Vatican calendar.

After missing the Jubilee Mass for artists last Sunday, a cardinal took his place.

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Medical writer Maria Cheng contributed to this report from London.

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