New Pope emphasises ‘peace’ in first address

In his first public words, Pope Leo told supporters “peace be with all you”.

He emphasised the theme of peace throughout the address.

“He is clearly setting the tone for his papacy,” Al Jazeera Hoda Abdel-Hamid reported from Vatican City.

“He also had a political tone there, calling for peace everywhere, calling for disarmament, calling for building bridges. So we do get an idea in which direction he will be heading,” she said.

Leo XIV has just spoken in Spanish

This is a summary of what he has said in Spanish:

• To all of you, the people of Rome and Italy, we need to be a church that shows charity always and is especially charitable to those who are suffering.
• Today is the day of praying to the Madonna of Pompeii.
• Our blessed mother Mary always wants to be close to us, so let us pray for this new mission and peace in the world.

He then performed the Hail Mary prayer.

‘We go forward,’ new pope says

Pope Leo has started his first address since assuming the role of leader of the Catholic Church.

“Evil will not prevail; we are in the hands of God,” he told supporters. “So without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we go forward.”

“Thank you, Pope Francis,” he said.

He called for a “missionary church … that builds bridges, is always open to welcome everyone”.

New pope takes to balcony

Newly appointed Pope Leo XIV has made his first public appearance, standing on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.

He waved with both hands to cheering supporters below, some waving the United States flag.

We will bring you more shortly.

Who is Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV?

Prevost is a US and Peruvian citizen, who was brought to the Vatican in 2023 by Pope Francis to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, widely considered one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.

While a native of Chicago, Prevost has lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.

Prevost was also twice elected prior general, or top leader, of the Augustinian religious order, the 13th-century order founded by St Augustine.

Ever since he arrived in Rome, Prevost has kept a low public profile, but he is well known to the men who count.

Significantly, he presided over one of the most consequential reforms Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope.

‘This is wonderful, so quick and so united’

“The cardinals have obviously been speaking to each other for these days between the funeral and now the conclave, and then in four votes, they’ve come to elect somebody,” Jack Valero, the founder of Catholic Voices and commentator on church affairs, tells Al Jazeera.

“Eighty-nine cardinals or more have voted for someone, this is very quick and very good for the church being united,” he said.

“This is the same time it took to elect Benedict XVI and John Paul the First”, Valero said, adding, “Pius XII was elected in the 1930s in three ballots.

“Now, we had this situation where we had cardinals from all over the world, thanks to Francis bringing lots of different perspectives of what it’s like to be Catholic in North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe … and yet, we have been able to choose a leader very quickly, which is wonderful” he said.

‘World Cup’ levels of excitement at the Vatican

I’ve seen many foreigners here from other religions.

It is a captivating show, even if you’re not from the Catholic faith, even if you’re not a follower of the church. People understand that this is a historic moment and honour.

It’s like being in the final of a World Cup. It really is. That is the level of excitement here.

Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected Pope

Cardinal Robert Prevost, a cardinal from the US, has now been elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday and has taken the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced to crowds in St Peter’s Square.

He should appear on the central balcony, the Loggia of the Blessings, shortly.

‘The church needs to be close to the new generation’: Analyst

The new pope must continue Pope Francis’s path of inclusion, says Luis Mendez a professor of business administration from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

“The church needs to be close to the new generation,” Mendez said, noting how his three children are also Catholic, but very little exited about the church.

“The right pope can point this new generation to the right direction, and this is what we are hoping for,” he said.

“We need a church that is inclusive, that doesn’t make certain people feel excluded, and this is what Pope Francis was doing.”

US President Donald Trump ‘saw the smoke’

The US president has briefly addressed the pending announcement.

“I saw the smoke, but I haven’t seen the pope,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House.

Trump was criticised after official White House social media accounts posted AI photos of him in papal garb.

That came shortly after he told reporters, “I’d like to be pope” – an apparent joke.

How much longer?

There’s no set time for when the new pope will be announced and make his first public appearance.

But based on history, it could be imminent.

Pope Francis appeared about an hour and 20 minutes after the white smoke was released.

Who are considered the top contenders?

Here are a few of the cardinals considered frontrunners:

• Pietro Parolin, 70, is the Vatican’s long-serving secretary of state and a senior figure in church diplomacy. He has been criticised for his handling of sex abuse allegations.
• Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, is a liberal-leaning cardinal from the Philippines. If elected, he would be the first pope from Southeast Asia.
• Peter Erdo, 72, is from Hungary and is a leading figure among the conservatives. He did not always agree with the direction Pope Francis was taking the church and has close ties to Hungarian leader Viktor Orban.
• Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, is the archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for his leadership in a region facing conflict and rapid church growth.

Read the full story here.

Questions remain after new pope elected

It certainly comes as a surprise that the choice came so quickly.

Is it a compromise figure? Did a conservative win? Or did the church decide to stay on the progressive path?

All these questions are still up there for us outside the Vatican, but those inside have already answered that question.

‘I am deeply moved’

Rosaria Venuto can hardly withhold her tears.

Early this morning, she picked up her two children and drove for four hours from the small town of Ascoli Satriano to Rome to be in St Peter’s Square and see the election of the new pope.

“I am deeply moved to have the chance to be here and live through this joy and be a small part of this historical event,” she said.

“I knew the madonna would have intervened and made sure the election would have happened today,” she said, as she was not able to be here on Wednesday, the first day of voting.

What happens next?

The smoke signal means the winner secured at least 89 of the votes from the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

The church leader’s name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words “Habemus papam!” – Latin for “We have a pope!” – from the roofed area or loggia of the basilica.

The cardinal will read the new pope’s birth name in Latin and reveal the name he has chosen to be called.

The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impart a blessing from the same loggia.

Habemus papam!

There was a moment of hesitation.

“Is it white!?” one of the tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square asked. “It is!!” another said, shouting with joy.

The crowd erupted in jubilation after waiting for hours to see the colour of the smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.

Some had bought chairs, books and food for what many believed would have been a long wait.

“Habemus papam!” (“We have a pope!”) a group of people started chanting – the Latin phrase used in the announcement of the election of a new pope.

The emotion is palpable.

Now the faithful will be waiting for the new pope to reveal himself from the balcony of the basilica.

Welcome to our live coverage

Hello, and thank you for joining our coverage of events at the Vatican after white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signalling that a new pope has been elected.

Follow this page for up-to-the-minute updates on the latest developments, along with context and analysis.

‘World Cup’ levels of excitement at the Vatican

The 88-year-old was admitted to the hospital on 14 February with a severe respiratory infection that resulted in double pneumonia.

During the past five weeks, he presented “two very critical episodes” where his “life was in danger”, Dr Sergio Alfieri, one of the doctors treating the Pope, said.

Pope Francis was never intubated and always remained alert and oriented, Dr Alfieri said. The Pope is not completely healed, but no longer has pneumonia and is now in a stable condition, according to his doctors.

“Today we are happy to say that tomorrow he will be at home,” Dr Alfieri told reporters on Saturday.

The Pope will offer a blessing from his window at the Gemelli hospital on Sunday – the first time he will appear in public since he was admitted to hospital – before returning to his residence at the Vatican.

Dr Alfieri said that patients with double pneumonia lose their voice a little and “especially in the elderly, it will take time for your voice to return to normal”.

On Friday, Cardinal Victor Fernandez had said “high-flow oxygen dries everything out” and as a result the Pope “needs to relearn how to speak”, Reuters had reported.

If the trend of improvement continues, doctors said, the Pope would be able to return to work as soon as possible.

The Vatican had said on Friday that the Pope had seen some improvements in his breathing and mobility.

It had confirmed he no longer uses mechanical ventilation for breathing at night, but was instead receiving oxygen via a small tube under his nose. During the day, he is using less high-flow oxygen.

The Pope has only been seen by the public once since he was admitted to hospital, in a photograph released by the Vatican last week, which showed him praying in a hospital chapel.

Earlier this month, an audio recording of Pope Francis speaking in his native Spanish was played in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

His voice was breathless as he thanked the Catholic faithful for their prayers.

Pope Francis has spent nearly 12 years as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

He has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21, making him more prone to infections.

The photo shows the pontiff sitting in a wheelchair in front of an altar at a chapel in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he has been recovering from pneumonia.

Earlier on Sunday, in his written Angelus message, the Pope said he faces a “period of trial” as he thanked well-wishers for their prayers and prayed for peace in “countries wounded by war”.

It marked the fifth Sunday in a row that the Pope was not present in person for his weekly blessing. The Vatican said earlier this week an X-ray had confirmed “improvements” in his condition, but he still needs hospital treatment.

“The Holy Father still requires hospital medical therapy, motor and respiratory physiotherapy,” it said in a statement on Saturday, adding that they are “showing further, gradual improvements”.

Pope Francis, 88, has not been seen in public since his admission to hospital on 14 February, and until Sunday, no photographs had been released.

“I join with so many brothers and sisters who are sick: fragile, at this time, like me,” the Pope said in his latest statement, earlier in the day.

“Let us continue to pray for peace, especially in the countries wounded by war: tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

Since his arrival in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the Pope has been treated for double pneumonia and other infections.

He has also suffered several respiratory crises, which has raised concerns about his survival.

Earlier on this month, an audio recording of Pope Francis speaking in his native Spanish was played in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

His voice was breathless as he thanked the Catholic faithful for their prayers.

Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is the first Pope from the Americas.

He contracted pleurisy as a young man and had a partial lung removal, which has left him particularly vulnerable to pneumonia.

As a result of his long load to recovery, there has been speculation that Pope Francis could choose to follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign the papacy.

But friends and biographers close to the Pope have insisted that he has no plans to step down. And, despite his fragile health, the pontiff has continued his work from hospital.

This year is a Catholic Holy Year, with 32 million pilgrims expected to travel to Rome.

The Argentine pontiff has been recovering in hospital from pneumonia, after he was admitted on 14 February.

In today’s message, the 88-year-old referenced Biblical passages and prayed for peace in “countries wounded by war”.

It marked the fifth Sunday in a row the Pope was not present in person for his weekly blessing, although the Vatican said earlier this week an X-ray had confirmed “improvements” in his condition. It has since cautioned he still needs hospital treatment.

“The Holy Father still requires hospital medical therapy, motor and respiratory physiotherapy; these therapies, at present, are showing further, gradual improvements,” it said in a statement on Saturday.

The Pope has not been seen in public since his admission to hospital and no photographs have been released of the religious figurehead.

“I join with so many brothers and sisters who are sick: fragile, at this time, like me,” the Pope said in his statement today.

“Let us continue to pray for peace, especially in the countries wounded by war: tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

Since his arrival in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the Pope has been treated for double pneumonia and other infections.

He has also suffered several respiratory crises, which has raised concerns about his survival.

Earlier on this month, an audio recording of Pope Francis speaking in his native Spanish was played in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

His voice was breathless as he thanked the Catholic faithful for their prayers.

Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is the first Pope from the Americas.

He contracted pleurisy as a young man and had a partial lung removal, which has left him particularly vulnerable to pneumonia.

As a result of his long load to recovery, there has been speculation that Pope Francis could choose to follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign the papacy.

But friends and biographers close to the Pope have insisted he has no plans to step down. And, despite his fragile health, the pontiff has continued his work from hospital.

This year, 2025, is a Catholic Holy Year, with 32 million pilgrims expected to travel to Rome.

Vatican officials said the text, sent from his hospital room in Rome, had been written “in the past few days”. In it, the Pope thanked people for their prayers and thanked his medical team for their care.

“I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord,” he wrote.

“At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people.”

The Pope usually makes his address from a window of the official Vatican appartments, drawing a crowd below on St Peter’s Square.

Many Catholics come specially for the chance to see him but this is now the longest Pope Francis has been out of the public eye since he was elected.

Each evening on the square, a group of cardinals lead people in prayers for his health.

In his latest written address, the Pope told Catholics that he felt their “affection and closeness” and felt “carried and supported by all God’s people”.

The Vatican said he remained stable on Sunday, although doctors still describe his overall condition – with pneumonia – as “complex” and the risk of another infection is high. After 16 days in hospital, they are still giving no prognosis.

The medical team has not spoken directly to journalists for over a week, and all updates are coming via Vatican officials.

On Sunday, they said the Pope no longer required “non-invasive mechanical ventilation, only high-flow oxygen therapy”.

He does not have a fever and was able to participate in mass in a chapel on the 10th floor of Rome’s Gemelli hospital where he is being treated.

The Pope also received two visitors – Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin and his deputy Monsignor Pena Parra. They are the first to be mentioned by the Vatican in almost a week.

There are no details about the length of time the men spent with him or what was discussed.

The latest details do suggest that the Pope has rallied somewhat since Friday, when he suffered a second breathing “crisis” which doctors had worried might have a lasting impact. It was the second time the word “crisis” had been used since he was admitted to hospital on 14 February.

By Sunday, though, Vatican sources were more reassuring.

“The Pope woke, had breakfast with coffee, continued his therapy and read the newspapers as he usually does,” they told journalists.

In his Sunday Angelus, the Pope prayed for peace, including in “tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel”, adding: “From here, war appears even more absurd.”

Always outspoken against war, some of the Pope’s previous comments on Ukraine have nevertheless created controversy.

He suggested that Russia’s full-scale invasion was “somehow provoked” and on one occasion agreed that Kyiv should show “the courage of the white flag” and negotiate for peace.

It led to an episode of vomiting and a “sudden worsening of his respiratory condition” on Friday following the coughing “bronchospasm”.

The 88-year-old’s lungs had to be aspirated – cleared of the vomit – and he received gas through a face mask to help him breathe.

In an update on Saturday, the Vatican said the Pope had a “peaceful night and is resting”.

Earlier, Vatican sources said the Pope’s doctors needed 24 to 48 hours to determine whether there had been any damage or setback to his condition.

They were not giving any prognosis, but said the Pope remained alert and “in good spirits”.

In a statement on Friday, the Vatican said: “In the early afternoon of today, after a morning spent alternating respiratory physiotherapy with prayer in the chapel, the Holy Father presented an isolated crisis of bronchospasm which, however, led to an episode of vomiting with inhalation and sudden worsening of the respiratory condition.

“The Holy Father was promptly bronchoaspirated and began non-invasive mechanical ventilation, with a good response to gas exchange.”

Vatican sources said the latest crisis happened at about 14:00 local time on Friday, but did not say how long it lasted.

The latest episode comes after a couple of days in which Vatican statements had been slightly more positive, talking of a “slight improvement” in the pontiff’s condition.

He was given Communion on Friday morning.

In an earlier medical update, the Vatican had said the pontiff was showing signs of improvement and would remain in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital due to the complex clinical picture.

The Pope was admitted to hospital on 14 February after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days.

He was first treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

Then, on 22 February, the Vatican said that the Pope had experienced a respiratory crisis and was in a “critical” condition, but later on Sunday released an update saying that he had “not presented any further respiratory crises”.

The following day, the Pope issued a statement asking Catholics to pray for him after he was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second week running.

But, while the Vatican said the Pope’s health is improving, it added that “further days of clinical stability are necessary to resolve the prognosis”.

The pontiff is particularly susceptible to pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, after he contracted pleurisy – an inflammation of the lungs – as a young man and had a partial lung removal.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been admitted to hospital multiple times during his 12-year tenure, including being treated for bronchitis at the same hospital in March 2023.

From Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American, and first Jesuit, to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

He was still receiving high-flow oxygen therapy and had undergone blood transfusions. Blood tests also showed he had “initial, mild, renal insufficiency” – a kidney problem – that is “currently under control”, the statement said.

The Vatican said he “continues to be alert and well oriented”.

The Pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on 14 February after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days, where he was first treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

On Sunday, the Pope’s thrombocytopenia – a condition that occurs when the platelet count in the blood is too low – was stable, the statement said.

In the morning, the Pope “participated in the Holy Mass, together with those who are taking care of him during these days”, the statement continued.

The Vatican did not offer a prognosis given the “complexity of the clinical picture”.

The new statement comes after the Vatican said on Saturday that the Pope had experienced a respiratory crisis and was in a “critical” condition.

Earlier on Sunday, the Pope issued a statement asking Catholics to pray for him after he was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second week running.

The pontiff is particularly susceptible to pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, after he contracted pleurisy – an inflammation of the lungs – as a young man and underwent a partial lung removal.

The leader of the Roman Catholic church has been admitted to hospital multiple times during his 12-year tenure, including being treated for bronchitis at the same hospital in March 2023.

From Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American, and first Jesuit, to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

The pontiff was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second Sunday running.

But in a message written over the last few days, he said he was “confidently continuing” his hospitalisation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and “carrying on with the necessary treatment”.

The message comes after the Vatican revealed on Saturday that the 88-year-old’s condition continues to be “critical”.

In his message, released on Sunday, the Pope thanked the doctors and health workers at the hospital, and well-wishers who sent in messages.

“In recent days I have received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children,” he wrote.

“Thank you for this closeness, and for the prayers of comfort I have received from all over the world! I entrust you all to the intercession of Mary, and I ask you to pray for me.”

Well-wishers have continued to pray outside the hospital.

Dozens of people have been seen lighting candles and leaving them at the foot of a nearby statue of the late Pope John Paul II.

The 88-year-old was first admitted to hospital on 14 February after experiencing difficulties breathing for several days.

He is especially prone to lung infections due to developing pleurisy – an inflammation around the lungs – as an adult and having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21.

During his 12 years as leader of the Roman Catholic church, the Argentine has been admitted to hospital several times, including in March 2023 when he spent three nights in hospital with bronchitis.

The Pope has asked for openness about his health, so the Vatican has started to release daily statements. The tone and length of the announcements has varied, sometimes leaving Pope-watchers to attempt to read between the lines.

On Saturday, the Vatican said the Roman Catholic leader was alert and spent the day in an armchair, but that he was “not out of danger” and that he was “more unwell” than he was on Friday.

They added the pontiff needed blood transfusions due to a low platelet count – associated with anaemia – and he required a “high flow” of oxygen.

Doctors treating the Pope confirmed this week that he was responding to medication but his condition was complex and the slightest change of circumstance would upset what was called a “delicate balance”.

“He is the Pope,” as one of them put it. “But he is also a man.”

The Pope also used his message on Sunday to highlight the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine on Monday, and called on people to remember all victims of armed conflict and to “pray for the gift of peace in Palestine, Israel and throughout the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu and Sudan”.

The Angelus prayer is usually delivered by the Pope from a window of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican and is accompanied by a short message.

The pontiff was described as “more unwell” than on Friday and he has received blood transfusions as he suffers from a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis”.

The 88-year-old is being treated for pneumonia in both lungs at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

The blood transfusions were deemed necessary due to a low platelet count, associated with anaemia, the Vatican said.

It said the Roman Catholic leader was alert and in his armchair, but required a “high flow” of oxygen and his prognosis “remains guarded”.

“The Holy Father’s condition remains critical,” it said in a statement. “The Pope is not out of danger.”

It added: “The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair even if he was suffering more than yesterday.”

The Pope has asked for openness about his health, so the Vatican has begun releasing daily statements. The tone and length of the announcements has varied, sometimes leaving Pope-watchers to attempt to read between the lines.

But this is by far the starkest assessment yet and it is unusually detailed. It declines to give any prognosis.

It comes just a day after doctors treating the Pope said for the first time that he was responding to medication, although they were clear that his condition was complex. They said on Friday that the slightest change of circumstance would upset what was called a “delicate balance”.

“He is the Pope,” as one of them put it. “But he is also a man.”

The Pope was first admitted to hospital on 14 February after experiencing difficulties breathing for several days.

He is especially prone to lung infections due to developing pleurisy – an inflammation around the lungs – as an adult and having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21.

During his 12 years as leader of the Roman Catholic church, the Argentine has been hospitalised several times, including in March 2023 when he spent three nights in hospital with bronchitis.

The latest news will worry Catholics worldwide, who are following news of the Pope’s condition closely.

It is a busy Jubilee year for the Catholic Church with huge numbers of visitors expected in Rome and a major schedule of events for the Pope.

He is not known for enjoying being inactive. Even in hospital, his doctors say he went to pray in the chapel this week and had been reading in his chair.

But even before the latest setback, the Vatican had said he would not appear in public to lead prayer with pilgrims on Sunday, meaning he will miss the event for the second week in a row.

Well-wishers have been leaving candles, flowers and letters for the Pope outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital all week. There was no change outside St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday evening, however, with no crowd gathering.

But people passing through the square said they were following the news.

“We feel very close to the Pope, here in Rome,” one Italian man told the BBC. “We saw the latest, and we are worried.”

The pontiff is “more unwell than yesterday” and had received blood transfusions, the statement said.

The Vatican said the 88-year-old was alert and in his armchair, but required a “high flow” of oxygen and his prognosis “remains guarded”.

The Pope is being treated for pneumonia in both lungs at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

The blood transfusions were deemed necessary due to a low platelet count, associated with anaemia, the Vatican said.

“The Holy Father’s condition remains critical,” a statement said. “The Pope is not out of danger.”

“The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair even if he was suffering more than yesterday,” the statement added.

The Pope has asked for openness about his health, so the Vatican has begun releasing daily statements. The tone, and length, of the announcements has varied, sometimes leaving Pope-watchers to attempt to read between the lines.

But this is by far the starkest assessment yet and it is unusually detailed. It declines to give any prognosis.

It comes just a day after doctors treating the Pope said for the first time that he was responding to medication, although they were clear that his condition was complex. They said on Friday that the slightest change of circumstance would upset what was called a “delicate balance”.

“He is the Pope,” as one of them put it. “But he is also a man.”

The Pope was first admitted to hospital on 14 February after experiencing difficulties breathing for several days.

He is especially prone to lung infections due to developing pleurisy – an inflammation around the lungs – as an adult and having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21.

During his 12 years as leader of the Roman Catholic church, the Argentine has been hospitalised several times including in March 2023 when he spent three nights in hospital with bronchitis.

The latest news will worry Catholics worldwide, who are following news of the Pope’s condition closely.

It is a busy Jubilee year for the Catholic Church with huge numbers of visitors expected in Rome and a major schedule of events for the Pope. He is not known for enjoying being inactive. Even in hospital, his doctors say he went to pray in the chapel this week and had been reading in his chair.

But even before the latest setback, the Vatican had said he would not appear in public to lead prayer with pilgrims on Sunday, meaning he will miss the event for the second week in a row.

Well-wishers have been leaving candles, flowers and letters for the Pope outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital all week. There was no change outside St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday evening, however, with no crowd gathering.

But people passing through the square said they were following the news.