Pope Francis’ bronchitis ‘is improving’, according to Vatican

Vatican City. The health of Pope Francis, who decided not to attend the Conference of the Parties 28 in Dubai due to bronchitis, is “improving,” the Vatican said on Saturday.

The Holy See detailed in a statement that “the Pope does not have a fever and continues to receive appropriate medical treatment.”

Despite improvements in the situation, the 86-year-old Argentine pope chose not to preside over the Angelus from the window of the Apostolic Palace in St. Peter’s Square in Rome in order to “avoid exposure to temperature changes.”

According to the Vatican, Francis will pray the Angelus in his private residence and broadcast it on a screen in St. Peter’s Square, as planned last Sunday.

During his weekly audience last Wednesday, the pope, who suffered from breathlessness and fatigue, delegated the reading of the text to an aide.

Francis underwent a partial lung ablation as a young man and was forced to cancel a planned United Nations climate conference in Dubai.

Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s No. 2 man, attended in the pope’s stead and spoke on Saturday, urging Conference of the Parties attendees to achieve a “turning point” to accelerate the ecological transition.

The pope, who turns 87 in December, has faced various health problems, including complications with his knees, hips and colon. In June, he underwent abdominal surgery, and in March he was hospitalized for three nights with bronchitis.

On Saturday, he canceled several hearings due to a “mild flu.”