Pope Francis says he has bronchitis

Pope Francis himself, 87, said at an event at the Vatican on Saturday that he was suffering from bronchitis and that he was unable to read his speech because of a cough.

“I thank you all,” the Argentine pope said at the opening of the Holy See’s Judicial Year. “I have prepared a speech but I cannot read it because of bronchitis.”

The pope suffered from a mild flu and had to go to a Rome hospital last Wednesday for follow-up tests. That morning, he held a public audience at the Vatican but did not read any of his own words.

On Saturday, March 2, he plans to meet with the head of the German government, Olaf Scholz.

Francisco, who uses a wheelchair, has developed a series of health problems in recent years, particularly with his knees, hips and colon.

He also underwent abdominal surgery in June, and in December he had to cancel a trip to Dubai to attend COP28, the major annual climate event organized by the United Nations, due to bronchitis.

The day before, the pope once again criticized gender “ideology,” which he considered “the ugliest danger” because it “eradicates” the differences between men and women.

“I ask for a study of this ugly ideology of our time, which erases differences and makes everything equal; to abolish differences is to abolish humanity. “Men and women, and vice versa,” the pope added. All in a productive and tense relationship. “

This is not the first time the pope has criticized the theory that gender identity is determined by education and environment rather than genetic differences.