For the second time in three days, Pope Francis canceled appointments for health reasons. The Vatican announced yesterday that the 87-year-old had canceled all of his scheduled hearings for the day due to a “mild flu”. The head of the Roman Catholic Church does not have a fever, but as a precaution morning appointments have been cancelled.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin emphasized that the Pope was recovering from the flu. “He recovered and resumed his normal work,” Parolin said, according to media sources.
Francisco, who has been in the role since 2013, has been increasingly concerned about his health for some time. The Argentine had already canceled his commitments on Saturday. On Sunday, he celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and prayed the Angelus prayer in the window of the Apostolic Palace, as planned. In recent months, the religious leader of more than 1.4 billion Catholics around the world has had several problems with respiratory tract inflammation.
Last year, the pontiff was admitted twice to a clinic in Rome and had to undergo abdominal surgery. Due to a knee problem, Francisco now usually sits in a wheelchair during public appearances. The Argentine could be the successor to German Pope Benedict XVI. celebrate eleven years in office next month.