26 November 2023 , 21:33
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Pope Francis has issued a health update, relying on another priest to speak for him, after the Vatican admitted he was suffering from a "mild flu".
The head of the Catholic Church has said he has a lung inflammation but plans to fly to Dubai this week for a climate conference nonetheless. Francis skipped his weekly Sunday appearance earlier today, not appearing at the window overlooking St Peter’s Square. The day before, the Vatican admitted he was suffering from what it called a mild flu.
Instead, Francis gave the traditional noon blessing in a televised appearance from the chapel in the Vatican hotel where he lives. It isn’t known what anti-viral measures he will be taking for the climate change conference. The elderly are even more at risk from severe effects of flu.
The Pope was too ill to make his usual address today, doing it virtually instead (AFP via Getty Images)The Pontiff, who turns 87 next month, didn’t read out the day’s reflections, instead relying on a priest sat beside him to do so. During the appearance, he said: "Brothers and sisters, happy Sunday. Today I cannot appear at the window because I have this problem of inflammation of the lungs."
Francis also said he was travelling, as scheduled, to the United Arab Emirates for the COP28 gathering where he would deliver his speech on Saturday. The pontiff's voice dipped low, and at times he seemed almost breathless in his brief introductory remarks explaining why he didn't make the window appearance, and at the end when he added his usual request to "don't forget to pray for me."
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The Pope relied on Msgr. Paolo Braida to deliver his Sunday Angelus blessing (Getty Images)In words read out by the priest, Francis added: "Besides war, our world is threatened by another great peril, that of climate change, which puts at risk life on Earth, especially for future generations. I thank all who will accompany this voyage with prayer and with the commitment to take to heart the safeguarding of the common house,".
In the footage, it could be seen that the pope had a bandage on his right hand and what appeared to be a cannula. The Vatican didn't immediately respond to a query from the Associated Press about whether he was receiving intravenous or some other treatment.
The 86-year-old Pope said his lungs were inflammed (Vatican Media / Catholic Press Photo / IPA / SplashNews.com)Not immediately explained was the discrepancy between the Pope saying he has lung inflammation and the Vatican saying a day earlier that Francis had a CT scan at a Rome hospital "to exclude the risk of pulmonary complications" and that the exam was negative.
Earlier this year, Francis was hospitalised for three days for what he later said was pneumonia and what the Vatican described as a case of bronchitis necessitating treatment with intravenous antibiotics.