Pope Francis, who recently returned from a long tour of Asia and Oceania, has cancelled his public audiences due to “mild flu symptoms”. The Vatican said the pontiff was resting before his visit to Belgium this week.
A schedule once again disrupted for medical reasons. “Due to a slight episode of flu and as a precautionary measure in view of the trip in the coming days, the papal audiences scheduled for today are cancelled,” declared the Vatican Press Office this Monday, September 23.
The 87-year-old Argentine pontiff, who took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013, has suffered several health problems in recent years, including bouts of flu earlier this year and bronchitis late last year.
Busy schedule at the end of the month
His trip from September 2 to 13, which took him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, was particularly trying: some 32,000 kilometers in 12 days.
This Thursday, September 26, the Pope is due to leave for a four-day trip to Luxembourg and Belgium.
