Pope Francis taken to hospital for bronchitis after struggling to speak

Pope Francis was taken to hospital on Friday with bronchitis and he will skip several planned public events over the next three days, the Vatican said, after the 88-year-old pontiff was seen struggling to speak during one of his meetings in the morning.

"Pope Francis was admitted to the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli for some necessary diagnostic tests and to continue his treatment for bronchitis, which is still ongoing, in a hospital environment," the Vatican said in a statement.

The pope has been suffering from bronchitis for more than a week.

Francis will not take part in a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday, the Vatican said later, adding that a planned public audience on Saturday and a visit on Monday to Rome's famed Cinecitta film studios were cancelled.

Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years. As a young adult he developed a case of pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed, and in recent times he has been prone to lung infections.

Earlier this month, Francis told pilgrims at a weekly audience that he was suffering from a "strong cold," which the Vatican later described as bronchitis.

The pope held several meetings on Friday before going to hospital. One was with Mark Thompson, CEO of the CNN news channel. The pope was "mentally alert but struggling to speak for extended periods due to breathing difficulties," CNN later reported.

The pope also held meetings with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, senior Vatican official Cardinal Luis Tagle and with a Catholic philanthropy group that is based in Puerto Rico.

Video of the pope's meeting with Fico showed Francis sitting at a desk in his Vatican residence, smiling, and speaking in a soft tone.

Francis has been suffering with respiratory issues since mid-December. He begged off reading statements at several of his public events in January and February, attending the occasions but asking aides to read his prepared remarks.

Reuters