Pope has trouble breathing, weak from flu

font size

Extending Vatican statement

Pope Francis hosted his weekly audience on Wednesday, even though the pandemic forced him to cancel a trip to COP28 in Dubai and asked an aide to read in his stead.

The 86-year-old Argentinian pope appeared tired and breathless before a Vatican audience. “I’m still not feeling well with the flu,” he told the audience.

“He does not have a fever, but inflammation of the lungs associated with difficulty breathing persists,” the Vatican said in the afternoon, adding that he was continuing to receive antibiotic treatment.

Faced with a flu that has been plaguing him since the weekend, Francisco was forced to cancel his trip to this year’s annual climate summit COP28 in Dubai on the advice of his doctor.

The pope, who underwent a partial lung ablation as a young man, was scheduled to stay in the United Arab Emirates from Friday to Sunday, where he was due to speak on Saturday.

At the end of Wednesday’s audience, Francis made a faint appeal for an end to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. However, he seemed more cheerful as he watched a circus show with acrobats.

Before the full hearing, he told visiting members of Glasgow Celtic Football Club that he was feeling “better than yesterday”.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin later said the pope was “in the process of recovery” but did not want to risk traveling to Dubai.

According to the Vatican, Francis still wants to participate in the climate debate, but the exact means have not yet been announced.

Parolin said he would personally attend the first part of the U.N. talks and that a Vatican team would remain throughout.

Francis, who has suffered multiple health problems in recent years and underwent abdominal surgery in June, canceled Saturday’s audience due to what the Vatican called a “mild flu.”

The pope underwent a “computed tomography scan” that ruled out “the risk of pulmonary complications.”