Pope Francis hospitalized with respiratory infection

Pope Francis.
(Image credit: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Francis has been hospitalized in Rome with a respiratory infection, the Vatican announced Wednesday.

The 86-year-old pontiff does not have COVID-19 and will need to spend "a few days" in the hospital, the Vatican said, adding that he "is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.