Pope Francis explained on Wednesday that he was still cold, following reports that he had the flu, and today he made a medical visit to the Gemelli hospital on the island of Tiber in central Rome.
In the central branch where his parents were treated, he went to the hospital for a computed tomography (CAT) scan because of bronchitis.
According to Italian media reports, Francesco arrived in the city center in his usual vehicle and returned shortly after.
The pope held an audience today for thousands of people in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, but said he still had a cold and wanted the catechism to be read by a collaborator.
“I was still a little cold, so I asked Monsignor (Filippo) Ciampanelli to read the catechism,” the pope said, arriving in a wheelchair in the Paul VI classroom where the audience was.
He also did not read out the address he gave in public to the Patriarchal Patriarch of Silesia in Armenia.
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Pope Francis visits Rome hospital with flu
Last Monday, the Vatican reported that “mild flu-like symptoms persisted, although there was no fever,” but planned hearings had been suspended as a precaution.
The pope did celebrate the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday, leaning out of the window of the papal palace and reciting it in a good voice before thousands of worshipers gathered in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
At the end of November, the Pope fell ill with bronchitis and had to cancel some events. He celebrated the Angelus privately and had a collaborator read the speech instead.
In order to allow himself to recover, the Argentine pope canceled his planned trip to Dubai for a climate summit in early December.
But he later fully recovered and even went to the Plaza de España on December 8 to pay homage to the Immaculate Conception in the traditional way.
Information from EFE.
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