Pope Francis cancels all meetings over 'mild' flu symptoms sparking health fears

26 February 2024 , 15:50

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Over the past few months, Francis had to cancel some activities and one international trip due to his fragile health (Image: Getty Images)

Pope Francis has cancelled all of his meetings today due to persistent but mild flu symptoms, the Vatican press office said in a short statement.

The 87-year-old pontiff did not have a fever and the decision to call off his work commitments was taken as a precautionary measure, the statement added.

Francis was well enough on Sunday to celebrate his weekly Angelus prayer from the Vatican window overlooking St Peter's Square, a day after cancelling a public audience because of a mild flu-like condition. The Vatican calendar displayed no public audiences scheduled for the Pope on Monday morning, but he may have had other private engagements.

On Saturday, in another brief announcement, the Vatican press office said the Pope was forced to scrap a planned audience with Roman deacons as a precaution due to a "mild, flu-like condition".

Over the past few months, Francis had to cancel some activities and one international trip due to his fragile health. In November last year, Pope Francis issued a health update after relying on another priest to speak for him at the Vatican. The Vatican admitted he was suffering from a "mild flu".

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The head of the Catholic Church has said he had a lung inflammation but still planned to fly to Dubai for a climate conference. Francis skipped one of his weekly Sunday appearances last November, 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. He did not read out the day’s reflections, instead relying on a priest who 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."

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,".

Zahra Khaliq