Pope Francis wrestles with double pneumonia and prepares for the end

Pope Francis' is reportedly in reasonable spirits as he continues to fight a complex respiratory condition, in the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, diagnosed as bilateral pneumonia.

The Pope has said that he is tying up loose ends, regarding who might succeed him, fearing he may not survive this latest bout of ill health.

Pope Francis has suffered attacks of bronchitis for some time now and this particular combination of asthmatic bronchitis and respiratory infection is of particular concern as the Pontiff had part of one lung removed some years ago.

The Pope himself has commented on his health during the audiences at Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel where he has been living lately, explaining: "I am sick, I have bronchitis, I live here and I cannot go out", reports the Corriere della Sera.

Indeed, the recent demands on the Pope to make frequent public appearances due to it being a Jubilee Year, have proved a strain, with the Pontiff seeming tired and out of breath.

On February 9,  Pope Francis was forced to retire during the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, due to "difficulty breathing", according to as La Repubblica, entrusting the continuation of the celebration to Archbishop Diego Ravelli.

Prior to this, Pope Francis had had to delegate his duties to others during a general audience in the Sala Nervi, "because with this strong cold it is difficult for me to speak", the pontiff had said according to Corriere.

In spite of his ill health, the Pope is keen to ensure that his legacy survives and is doing what his condition allows to this end.

Elected Pope in 2013, Francis' papacy has seen women take important roles within the Church, LGBTQ+ rights recognized and at least the beginning of investigations into the child abuse scandals.

Now it looks as though his forward-looking and controversial papacy could be coming to its end. According to a report by Politico, Pope Francis told two confidants that he "might not make it this time."

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