Pope Francis reveals illness that has forced him to cancel meetings and prevented him from reading

Pope Francis, 87, suffers from bronchitis, as he himself said this Saturday at an event in the Vatican, where he could not read his speech due to a cough.

“I thank you all, I have prepared a speech, but due to bronchitis I am unable to read it,” The Argentine pontiff made the announcement when opening the judicial year at the Holy See.

The Pope, suffering from a mild case of the flu, had to go to a hospital in Rome on Wednesday (28 February) for tests. That morning he held his general audience at the Vatican, but did not read his text.

Francisco, who uses a wheelchair, has suffered several health problems in recent years, particularly with his knees, hips and colon.

He also had stomach surgery in June and had to cancel his trip to Dubai for COP28, the major annual climate event organized by the United Nations, due to bronchitis in December.

In 2020, Francisco faced severe cold due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at that time., This inconvenience forced him to cancel many of his meetings, in addition to his annual retreat from the Vatican.

in 2021 A portion of his colon was removed due to inflammation in the intestines. And since 2023, the Pontiff has had to move around in a wheelchair or use a cane due to sprained ligaments and a fractured joint in his knee, which makes it difficult for him to walk.

When he was young, about 21 years old, the Pope the upper part of his lung was removed After severe pneumonia. Pope Francis suffers from diverticulitisA common disease that can cause inflammation or infection of the colon.

Since last February 24, Francisco has suffered health complications due to a ‘cold’; However, the Vatican limited itself in responding to what was happening., because every day they argued that the symptoms “persist without fever” and that is why they suspended some hearings. Now, it was the same Pope who revealed the situation that led him to cancel many of his appointments.

At the moment, it is unknown whether Francisco will be able to continue attending the meetings scheduled for March 2 or, on the contrary, he will have to cancel them, as he has been doing in recent days, which has caused concern in the Roman Catholic Church. About his ability to continue to lead.

,With information from AFP,