Pope Francis has cancelled all of his appointments for this Monday due to illness. The Vatican justified this by saying that the 87-year-old pontiff was suffering from a “mild flu”. In addition, the head of around 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide wanted to rest before a trip abroad lasting several days, which will take him first to Luxembourg and then to Belgium on Thursday.
Francis has had to cancel several appointments in recent months due to his health. However, he managed a twelve-day trip to Asia and the Pacific in the first half of September well. Due to knee pain and a hip problem, the Argentinian-born pope now mostly sits in a wheelchair during public appearances. Francis will turn 88 in December. He is the oldest pope in more than a century.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240923-930-240485/1
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