Francis cancels hearing due to mild flu

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has canceled an audience scheduled for Saturday out of an abundance of caution after coming down with a mild flu, the Vatican press office said in a brief statement. No further details were provided.

The Pope is scheduled to meet with deacons from Rome in the morning.

Francisco, 87, has already had to cancel part of his November schedule due to respiratory problems. At the time, scans ruled out pulmonary complications. When he was young, he had part of his lung removed in his native Argentina.

Last April, he spent three days at Gmeli University Hospital with what the Vatican said was bronchitis. He was discharged after receiving intravenous antibiotics.

In July 2021, Francisco also stayed at the same medical center for 10 days after undergoing surgery for intestinal stricture. He was readmitted to the hospital in July 2023 for surgery to repair an abdominal hernia and remove scar tissue from previous interventions.

In a recent television interview, when asked about his fragile health, the pope joked that his standard response was: “You know, I’m still alive.”