The Pope's health battles revealed in full and how pneumonia can silently kill - as Pontiff dies aged 88

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Pope Francis, 88, has died, the Vatican announced today.

The Pontiff spent his final weeks in hospital with a respiratory infection that developed into pneumonia in both his lungs.

Here MailOnline details Francis's health history, from the lung problems in his youth that left him more vulnerable to breathing problems, his mental health struggles while living under a dictatorship, and the health issues that left him using a wheelchair and cane. 

Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, was the first Latin American to hold the title.

He will be remembered for his comparatively liberal attitudes on some subjects that made him both popular and controversial. 

Francis expressed tolerance towards divorcees, allowed priests to bless same-sex couples under certain circumstances, and put concern for the environment at the heart of his papacy.

And he said in 2023 that transgender people could be baptised as long as it did not cause a scandal or 'confusion'.   

But he did stand firm on the subject of abortion. In a text signed by Francis that was released by the Vatican last year, terminations were described as 'an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense'.

 Pope Francis has died aged 88, the Vatican announced today. On February 14, the day he went into hospital, Pope Francis held a private audience (above) with Slovak prime minister Robert Fico. It was the last time the Pope was officially photographed

The young Pope's lung problems that required major surgery 

When just 21, Francis, developed a serious lung infection that led to pleurisy.

This is a dangerous inflammation of the pleura a thin layer of tissues that separates the lungs from the inside of the chest wall.

Pleurisy causes sharp chest pain that worsens when breathing as well as shortness of breath in general.

Causes vary, but the condition is most commonly triggered by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection.

The young Francis needed a life-saving operation that ended up removing part of one of his lungs.

While the operation enabled him to enjoy an active lifestyle, his reduced lung capacity would leave him more vulnerable to respiratory infections in his later years. 

In 2023, Francis suffered multiple bouts of lung related illnesses.

He was taken to hospital in March after complaining that he had difficulty breathing. 

JD Vance (pictured left) tried to mend his rocky relationship with Pope Francis (pictured right) at the Vatican on Easter Sunday after the leader of the Catholic church slammed the Trump administration's treatment of illegal migrants

Pope Francis tours St. Peter's Square in his popemobile after bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass 

But he recovered swiftly after receiving antibiotics for bronchitis, an inflammation of airways in the lungs that is usually caused by an infection.

Then in November that year he was forced to cancel a planned trip to the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai because of the flu and resulting lung inflammation.

Mental health battles with anxiety as a young priest

In 2021 Pope Francis detailed how he had seen a psychiatrist in his native Argentina as young priest.

He said he was struggled with anxiety due to helping people flee the country during the nation's military dictatorship. 

Francis told Argentinian media: 'During the terrible days of the dictatorship, when I had to take people into hiding to get them out of the country and thus save their lives, I had to deal with situations I didn't know how to handle.'

'Imagine what it was like to have someone hidden in the car—covered only by a blanket—and go through three military checkpoints...the stress it caused me was enormous.'

Francis said he saw the psychiatrist for about six months adding he had also found listening to music by the classic composer Bach a good coping mechanism.

Pope Francis as a young priest in Argentina. He rose to become archbishop of Buenos Aires 

However, the pope had faced criticism for failing to openly confront Argentina's murderous regime at the time.

In October 2012, the bishops of Argentina — led by Francis — published an apology which acknowledged that the church had not protected its faithful. 

Surgery on his colon and rumours of cancer

In 2021 Francis had 13in (33cm) of his colon, part of the large intestine, removed in a six-hour operation to address a painful bowel condition called diverticulitis.

This is where small lumps or bulges develop in the large intestine which can cause issues like abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating and blood in faeces. 

While most people develop these lumps as they age, they don't always cause problems.

But patients can need surgery if these bulges become inflamed or infected, as was the case with Francis. 

After his initial bout of surgery in July 2021 the Vatican was forced to deny 'gossip' that cancer had been found during the procedure.

The surgeon who carried out the operation later confirmed no cancer was detected during the procedure.

In 2023, Francis had to spend nine days in hospital to repair an abdominal hernia, where an internal part of the body was bulging out causing a lump, related to diverticulitis.

That operation took about three hours.  

Problems leave the Pontiff wheelchair bound and calling for tequila

Francis had suffered from sciatica — a chronic nerve condition that triggers back, hip and leg pain — for many years.

Pope Francis in his wheelchair at the Vatican on the day of the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, February 9, 2025

The new Pope Francis I waves from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica after being elected by fellow cardinals following a two-day conclave, March 13, 2013

It's caused by the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back to your feet, becoming irritated or compressed.

A flare-up caused him to miss New Year's Eve and New Year's Day services in December 2020.

This was the first occasion a health problem caused the Pontiff to miss a major religious event.

In 2022 he also developed a 'a small fracture' in his knee when he took a misstep while a ligament was inflamed.

While surgery to fix the problem was an option, Francis said he didn't want to have it as he had suffered from some long-term negative side effects from anaesthesia following the 2021 operation on his colon.

Instead, he had coped with therapeutic injections to the knee and using laser and magnet therapy to help address the problem.

Francis, asked how he was coping with the knee, was also reported at one point quipping that what he really needed for the pain was some tequila. 

In 2022, he was forced to cancel trips to Lebanon, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan because of his mobility problems. 

In the years before his death the pontiff was increasingly seen using a cane and even a wheelchair due to these issues. 

It was at this time that people noted the normally active Pontiff's waistline had started to expand, with this believed to be linked to his more sedentary lifestyle.

Francis suffered a series of falls in the months before his death. One, in December last year, saw Francis fall and hit his chin on a nightstand leaving a large noticeable bruise on his face.

Falls leave the pope battered and bruised 

Francis suffered a series of falls in the months before his death.

One, in December last year, saw Francis fall and hit his chin on a nightstand leaving a large noticeable bruise on his face. 

Then in January last year Francis took another tumble, injuring his right arm.

He was then pictured wearing a sling though the Vatican stated this was a 'precaution' rather than strictly necessary.  

The pope's last illness and how pneumonia can kill

Francis spent much of his last few weeks in hospital having first been admitted on February 14 with bronchitis and a slight fever.

This would later be found to be a polymicrobial — meaning multiple types of virus, bacteria or fungi — infection.

On February 18 he was diagnosed with life-threatening pneumonia in both his lungs.

Pope Francis injured his right arm in a fall at his Santa Marta home earlier this year. He is pictured here with his arm bandaged 

A few days later on February 21 medics state the Pontiff has developed steroid-induced diabetes as a result of his treatment.

The next day he is placed on assisted breathing to help keep him alive. 

Francis's condition then deteriorated further with some early signs of kidney failure, however this is said to resolve on February 26. 

He suffers a numbery of respiratory attacks over the next week, on occasions medics needs to insert special tools into his airways to remove blockages of mucus. 

Then, on a March 10, medics say he is no longer in life-threating danger from pneumonia.

Then, after spending almost two weeks in a stable condition, they said Francis could continue to recover at the Vatican being discharged on March 23.   

He spent a total of 38 days at Rome's Gemelli hospital.

Francis, while looking frail, continued to attend official events in the run-up to his death.

Just yesterday he greeted Catholic faithful who had gathered to see him at St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. 

He delivered his 'Urbi et Orbi' benediction from a balcony overlooking the square following mass to mark the high holiday.

Then his way to the basilica, Francis met briefly with US Vice President JD Vance, who was spending Easter in Rome with his family. The Vatican said the encounter was 'brief' and lasted a few minutes.

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Then, this morning, the Vatican announced Francis had died.  'At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,' Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said.

Francis's cause of death has not been announced.

Pneumonia is known to be particularly dangerous to the elderly.

The most common cause is an initial viral infection which damages this lung tissue.

This then allows bacteria to bypass some of the body's defences and cause a secondary more serious infection. 

From there, the air sacks of the lungs begin to fill with liquid which thickens into phlegm, causing breathing difficulties.

This inhibits the flow of oxygen between the lungs and the blood meaning the body can struggle to function. 

Death can then occur from asphyxiation.