MSN
Pope Francis has privately told confidants he may not survive an ongoing health scare that has seen him hospitalized, according to a report.
Citing two sources familiar with the situation, Politico reported late Monday evening that the 88-year-old pontiff—who is being treated for “polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract” at a Gemelli Hospital in Rome—“is rushing to tie up loose ends ahead of the battle to succeed him.”
The outlet said Francis has been suffering from intense pain in recent days, although he initially resisted going to the hospital until he was “told in no uncertain terms that he was at risk of dying if he stayed in his room in the Vatican.”
Francis has had to cancel several public appearances since he fell ill, and the Vatican announced Tuesday that he would not be able to make his scheduled engagements this weekend.
Politico reported that Francis was “distressed” when doctors barred him from delivering the weekly Angelus sermon on Sunday, which he seldom misses, but has since relented and is strictly following doctors’ orders.
In addition to Francis reportedly expressing “certainty he won’t make it this time,” Politico pointed to a series of recent moves that indicate he is preparing as if his succession will take place sooner than later.
Chief among those moves was his decision on Feb. 6, before he was admitted to the hospital, to extend the term of a longtime ally, Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, as dean of the College of Cardinals.
In this role, Re would lead some preparations for a future papal conclave, where cardinals will convene at the Sistine Chapel to vote on a successor…
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