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.
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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.
Francisco was forced to cancel his trip to this year’s annual climate summit COP28 in Dubai on the advice of his doctor due to the ongoing flu outbreak since the weekend.
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.
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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.” The Vatican said Francis was receiving intravenous antibiotics.