Pontiff with respiratory disease
Prayer from the home office: Pope Francis speaks of “inflammation of the lungs”
Last hit: Pope Francis
© Andrew Medichini / AP / DPA
Pope Francis held and broadcast his Sunday prayer from his residence. He himself says he has “inflammation of his lungs”; the Vatican officially calls it a “mild flu.”
“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. On his right hand he had a band-aid and what looked like a cannula. However, he himself gave the blessing at the end of the prayer.
Vatican speaks of “mild flu”
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.
Francis’ health has been clearly a problem for some time now. 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!”
Pope Francis is scheduled to travel to Dubai on Friday for the World Climate Conference
Ahead of the World Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28), Francis warned of the “climate threat” that “endangers life on earth.” “Our world, in addition to war, is threatened by another great threat, the climate threat, which endangers life on earth, especially future generations,” read a priest in Francis’ place. “This is against God’s plan.”
Francis has made environmental protection one of the pillars of his term in office. The pontiff is scheduled to travel to Dubai on Friday, where he will give a highly anticipated speech. He is likely to denounce what he sees as the inaction of numerous governments and urge them to massively limit their greenhouse gas emissions.