Pope Francis cancels Saturday morning audiences due to mild flu, Vatican says
Pope Francis smiles as he waves faithful at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis smiles as he waves faithful at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis smiles as he waves faithful at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis holds his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has canceled his audiences scheduled for Saturday morning because he has a slight fever, the Vatican said.
“The Holy Father’s audiences scheduled for this morning are canceled due to a mild flu,” it said in a statement.
The pope is due to travel on Friday to Dubai for the COP28 conference on climate change, a global challenge that he has deeply cared about during his papacy.
Pope Francis will turn 87 next month. When asked about his health in a recent interview — after setbacks that included abdominal surgery just a few months ago to repair a hernia and remove intestinal scarring — Francis quipped in reply what has become his standard line — “Still alive, you know.”