Vatican confirms Pope Francis’ pneumonia, supporters gather outside hospital with prayers

Laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and the Holy Father’s clinical condition continue to present a complex picture,

the Vatican said

The follow-up chest CT scan which the Holy Father underwent this afternoon ... demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia, which required additional drug therapy,

Bruni said

May I ask for your prayers for his healing and recovery during this challenging time,

David said

Some infections require prolonged treatment because they're just harder to clear from the system,

Hopkinson said

I came to say a prayer for the Pope so that he may recover soon. I send him my best wishes,

said Jacqueline Troncoso, a Bolivian resident in Rome

While we give antibiotics and other therapies, we’re waiting for the body to respond,

McCormack said

It likely means he has more than one organism in his lungs,

Sauler said,

One of the risk factors for more serious infection, like older age, meaning anyone over 65,

said Dr. Meredith McCormack, director of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University

Even though we can treat pneumonias with antibiotics, pneumonias are also one of the leading causes of death,

said Sauler of Yale University

Often times, people will get a bronchitis or an airway infection and that can often start a cascade of multiple problems, including infections in the lungs,

said Dr. Maor Sauler, who specializes in adult pulmonary and critical care medicine at Yale University's School of Medicine

Saint Davidbishop

Pope Francis is currently hospitalized and is undergoing treatment for pneumonia,

David said

I hope that he’s getting better soon,

Birgit Jungreuthmayer, a 48-year-old Austrian tourist, told AFP

The pope spent a peaceful night, woke up, and had breakfast,

the Vatican said after Francis's fifth night at the Gemelli hospital in Rome

Pope Francispope

I would have liked to be among you but, as you know, I am here at the Gemelli hospital because I still need some treatment for my bronchitis,

Francis wrote

Being a more frail older person can increase your risk of having complications,

she said, noting

Nevertheless, Pope Francis is in good spirits,

it added

A high fever is a sign of an immune response to a pathogen,

he said

I'd be most interested in making sure he's not worsening despite the best efforts (of his doctors). That's usually a bad prognostic sign,

he said,

When anyone has pneumonia, there’s a good chance we can treat it,

he said