Pope Francis, who had to cancel events in recent days because of the flu, made a brief trip to a hospital in Rome for medical examinations this Wednesday (28), but returned to the Vatican afterwards, his office said in a statement. .
The 87-year-old pope was examined at the hospital on Tiber Island after his weekly general audience, according to the statement, which did not provide further details.
However, two medical sources told Reuters he had a CT scan.
Francisco underwent the same procedure at the same hospital in November, after another bout of flu. The scan allows doctors to see detailed internal images of the patient's body.
Televised footage on Wednesday showed a white Vatican-registered Fiat – a model Francis regularly uses – leaving Rome's medical center at around noon local time.
The pontiff missed a reading at this Wednesday's weekly audience, delegating the task to an aide and telling the faithful that he was still not well.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I still have a little cold,” said Francis in the audience, announcing that someone else would read his catechesis on envy and pride, two of the seven deadly sins. Reading lasted about a page.
The pope spoke at the end of the audience, appearing hoarse and coughing a little, to greet some faithful and make appeals for peace, as is customary.
Health problems and schedule cancellation
Francis, who has recently had several health problems, canceled appointments on Saturday (24) and Monday (26) due to what the Vatican called a mild flu.
On Sunday (25), he addressed the crowds in St. Peter's Square, as usual, to deliver his Angelus message.
The pope was forced to cancel a planned trip to a COP28 climate meeting in Dubai in early December due to the effects of flu and lung inflammation.
In January, he was unable to finish a speech due to “bronchitis”. At the end of the month, he said he was better, despite “some pain.”
As a young man in his native Argentina, Francisco had part of a lung removed.
The pope also has difficulty walking and regularly uses a wheelchair or cane. This Wednesday, he arrived at his internal audience in a wheelchair.
Source: CNN Brasil
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