Pope Francis moves to protect legacy amid serious illness: Politico
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The Holy See press office reported Monday that the Pope's bronchitis had progressed to a "polymicrobial infection" with a "complex clinical picture."
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A candle with a portrait of Pope Francis is seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AP)
The race to succeed Pope Francis is expected to be extremely contentious, especially considering the pontiff's recent confrontation with Catholic US Vice President JD Vance, Politico reported.
Pope Francis is extremely concerned about his health after being hospitalized with acute bronchitis, and he is hurrying to tie up loose ends ahead of the struggle to succeed him.
The Pope was taken to a special ward at Gemelli Hospital in Rome early this month due to a respiratory illness, and he has subsequently had to postpone many public engagements.
It is the latest health problem for the 88-year-old pontiff, who had a portion of his lung removed as a young man and has become more frail in recent years.
The Holy See press office Monday reported that the Pope's bronchitis had progressed to a "polymicrobial infection" with a "complex clinical picture."
Two individuals acquainted with the situation said Francis has been in excruciating agony and has privately stated that he would not make it this time.
On Sunday, physicians at Gemelli upset the pope by preventing him from delivering his normal morning Angelus address, which he has seldom missed, even when hospitalized, said one of the individuals and a third person. He is now operating only on "doctors' orders", according to one of them.
The pope first refused to go to the hospital but was told unequivocally that he risked death if he remained in his Vatican chamber, according to the second individual.
As his health deteriorated during the final month, Francis raced to finish major programs and promote favorable persons to crucial positions, capping off a progressive-tinted pontificate marred by fierce ideological conflicts.
Before being hospitalized, Francis extended the tenure of Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re as dean of the College of Cardinals, a position that will supervise some preparations for a possible conclave, the secretive meeting that determines the election of a new pope. The measure, which controversially avoided a scheduled vote on the next dean by top cardinals, was designed to guarantee that the procedure followed Francis' desires, according to the persons involved.
Re, a lifelong Vatican official, is too old to attend the conclave personally. Nonetheless, he will play a key role in the closed-door conversations that frequently occur before the conclave.
According to one source, Francis chose him as dean over a younger candidate because he wanted to have a friendly face on the job who could protect his legacy.
"The run-up to the conclave is more important as that's where lobbying goes on," according to the individual.
Re's continued duty will require him to perform Francis' burial rituals if the latter dies. A second source said the Pope had privately joked that Re would be "kinder" to him than other contenders.
Before his health deteriorated, Francis was dealing with a politically delicate situation. Earlier this month, he delivered a stern rebuke to US Vice President JD Vance's depiction of Ordo Amoris, a Catholic term related to love that Vance used to support President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
The White House was outraged by the papal reply, increasing the specter of a highly political succession war if Francis died.
On Saturday, the pontiff accelerated his historic reforming decision to nominate a nun, Sister Raffaella Petrini, as the next and first woman governor of Vatican City, stating that her tenure will begin on March 1. According to one high-ranking Church official, that date came sooner than planned, raising concerns about his well-being.
