Pope Francis announced that he has lung inflammation. The Roman Catholic Church leader confirmed this after he missed his weekly Sunday appearance at window overlooking St. Peter's Square.
Every Sunday, the supreme pontiff usually stands at an overlooking window facing Rome's large plaza in front of St. Peter's Basilica. Surprisingly, he didn't do it on November 26. Instead, he gave his traditional noon blessing during a televised appearance from the chapel in the Vatican hotel where he lives. Here's what the bishop said.
Pope Francis Says He Has Lung Inflammation
Pope Francis prays in front of the statue of the Immaculate Conceptionon at Spanish Steps December 8, 2013 in Rome, Italy. Following a tradition laid out by his predecessors, Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception by travelling to Spanish Steps.
ABC News reported that Pope Francis is suffering from lung inflammation. He confirmed that this was the reason why he wasn't able to appear at the window.
"Brothers and sisters, happy Sunday. Today I cannot appear at the window because I have this problem of inflammation of the lungs," said the supreme pontiff.
People who watched the footage said that the pope had a bandage on his right hand, saying it could be a cannula, a tube inserted into the body for fluid removal or delivery.
As of writing, the Vatican hasn't confirmed whether the religious leader is receiving intravenous or similar treatments. However, the announcement of Pope Francis raises questions because of what the Vatican shared recently.
Before announcing his lung inflammation, the Roman Catholic Church said the pontiff traveled to Rome's Gemelli hospital on the Tiberian Island on November 25. According to Vatican News, Pope Francis had a lung CT scan in connection with his flu-like symptoms.
The Vatican said that the test yielded negative test results. Because of this, the Roman Catholic Church said that the negative CT scan result already ruled out the risk of pulmonary complications.
Now that the religious leader has confirmed that he has lung inflammation, the statements that Pope Francis and the Vatican shared create a discrepancy, raising questions about the real health condition of the supreme pontiff.
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Pope Francis to Attend Dubai's COP28
Faithfuls gather to attend the Angelus prayer on a screen, led by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on November 26, 2023. Pope Francis will recite Sunday's Angelus prayer from his residence rather than overlooking St Peter's Square as he deals with a mild bout of flu, the Vatican press service said.
Despite his current health condition, Pope Francis confirmed that he will still attend the upcoming COP28 (2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference), which will happen at the Expo City in Dubai on December 12.
The supreme pontiff said that aside from war and other global conflicts, the world is also threatened by "another great peril." Pope Francis explained that climate change also risks life on Earth, especially for future generations.
"I thank all who will accompany this voyage with prayer and with the commitment to take to heart the safeguarding of the common house," added the bishop.
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