Vatican cancels papal audiences as Francis has ‘mild flu’

The Vatican announced this morning the cancellation of all papal audiences scheduled for today, September 23, specifying that Pope Francis is suffering from a “mild flu condition” and “as a precautionary measure in view of the trip (to Luxembourg and Belgium) in the coming days (September 26-29).”

The news came as something of a surprise given that Pope Francis appeared in good health as he greeted thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square at noon yesterday and showed no signs of a cough or cold.

Moreover, he was in good form the previous week as he held public audiences every day since his return from a 12-day visit to four countries in Asia and Oceania. In addition to public audiences, he also held numerous private audiences every afternoon.

Last Friday, for example, he gave an hour-long speech, intermittently, on Friday, September 20, to deliver a provocative message to the leaders of the popular movements of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development. I was present at that meeting and I could see that he was in good health and good spirits.

François, who will be 88 on December 17, has not rested a single day since his return from the Orient on Friday evening, September 13, and he needs energy reserves before going to Luxembourg and Belgium, even if the visits to these countries are not as demanding as his oriental odyssey, and the flight time is very short in comparison.

The Vatican attributed the cancellation to a “mild flu-like condition,” without specifying what that means exactly or what symptoms he might be experiencing. It could simply be a consequence of the rapid change in temperature between his trip to the Orient and his return to Rome. When we left for Indonesia on September 2, the temperature was 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit), but when we returned on September 13, it was 17 degrees Celsius (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Since then, the temperature has fluctuated considerably, as has the humidity, as autumn sets in.

In addition to his mobility problem that has forced him to use a wheelchair since May 2022, the cause of concern over Pope Francis’ health over the past year is linked to an infectious bronchitis that occurred last March, on the eve of Holy Week, which led him to be hospitalized for a few days. Previously, he had been hospitalized twice in the previous two years for colon surgery.

Since his election as pope in March 2013, he has only cancelled a trip abroad once, for the COP28 conference in Abu Dhabi in November 2023, due to concerns about “flu and inflammation of the respiratory tract”. His doctors had advised him not to travel at the time.

There is no indication that he will cancel his visit to Luxembourg and Belgium this week. The cancellation of today’s hearings is seen in Rome as a precautionary measure to avoid any deterioration in his health and to allow him to complete the visit.