Rome, February 25, 2024 – The Vatican said in a statement released on Friday that Pope Francis’ agenda for today had been changed due to a “mild flu.” The pope was scheduled to hold various events, including hosting deacons from the diocese of Rome, but was forced to cancel all Saturday events as a precaution.
The Holy See Press Office confirmed: “Due to a mild case of influenza, the Pope has canceled today’s scheduled audience as a precautionary measure.”
The decision to suspend Pope Francis comes after confirmation that he performed the spiritual exercises of Lent from last Sunday to Friday, February 23. Their meeting was scheduled to resume today but was postponed again due to the flu.
Pope spokesman Matteo Bruni said that although today’s event has been cancelled, tomorrow’s traditional Sunday Angelus remains confirmed.
This is not the first time Pope Francis has had health problems. In November 2023, he also canceled his trip due to a similar illness and was later diagnosed with infectious bronchitis. That time, he was forced to cancel a trip to Dubai to attend the United Nations climate conference.
After the incident, Pope Francis said he was feeling better but admitted he gets tired if he talks too much. This isn’t the first time he’s faced respiratory issues, as he was previously hospitalized for bronchitis and treated with intravenous antibiotics for three days.