The pontiff had to cancel appointments because of a “mild flu”. But he still holds the traditional Angelus prayer – via video transmission.
Pope Francis held the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday in the chapel of his Vatican residence because of a respiratory illness. “Today I can’t stand at the window because I have this problem of inflammation in my lungs,” said the head of the Catholic Church in a hoarse voice. He did not appear for the prayer at the window of the Apostolic Palace as usual, but in a live broadcast from his residence. He also had a priest read the prayer.
The 86-year-old Argentine appeared exhausted and occasionally coughed during the prayer. He sat next to the priest in the chapel of the Vatican guesthouse Santa Marta, where Francis also lives. However, he gave the blessing at the end of the prayer himself. He also confirmed his trip to Dubai next weekend for the climate conference (COP28) according to the text read out.
On Saturday, the Holy See surprisingly announced that the pontiff had had to cancel all appointments due to illness. The reason for this was a “mild flu”. It was later announced that Francis had undergone a computer tomography (CT) scan at a clinic in Rome to rule out complications. The Pope was able to return to the Vatican.
For some time now, Francis’ health has been clearly causing problems. He has already been treated in a clinic twice this year. First because of pneumonia; He later had to undergo open abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. When asked about his state of health, he often emphasized: “I’m still alive!”
Source: Stern
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