Pope Francis cancelled his scheduled audiences yesterday due to a “a mild flu-like condition,” the Vatican press office announced. Source: CNS.
The 87-year-old Pope, the press office said, would be resting as “a precautionary measure” in view of his scheduled trip to Luxembourg and Belgium on September 26-29.
The Pope had returned to the Vatican on September 13 after a 12-day trip to Asia and the Pacific; the next morning he met members of a pilgrimage in St Peter’s Basilica and had a full slate of appointments for the next 10 days.
Pope Francis recited the Angelus on Sunday with visitors in St. Peter’s Square and showed no obvious signs of feeling unwell.
The Vatican published the texts of the speeches the Pope had prepared for his audiences yesterday with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and with participants in a Vatican-related Christmas song contest.
The Pope, who underwent surgery in 1957 to remove part of one of his lungs after suffering a severe respiratory infection, has been susceptible to colds and bouts of bronchitis as he ages.
The last time he cancelled appointments for health reasons was in late February.
After a general audience on February 28, the Pope was taken to Rome’s Gemelli Isola Hospital for what the Vatican said were “diagnostic tests,” and during an audience two days later, he said he had bronchitis.
For the next three weeks, he often had an aide read his texts for him, although he did give his Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter homilies himself.
FULL STORY
With trip planned, ailing Pope cancels appointments to rest (By Cindy Wooden, CNS)
