Skip to content

Pope Francis Says He Is ‘Still Not Well,’ Has Aide Read General Audience Speech

One day after canceling his trip to Dubai at the request of his doctors, Pope Francis appeared at his public Wednesday audience and shared with a raspy voice that he was still not feeling well as he recovers from the flu.

One day after canceling his trip to Dubai at the request of his doctors, Pope Francis appeared at his public Wednesday audience and shared with a raspy voice that he was still not feeling well as he recovers from the flu.

Pope Francis, who turns 87 in December, spoke softly into a microphone as he explained that he was “still not well” and would have an aide read his speech because his “voice is not good.”

The pope could be heard breathing heavily as he stood to begin the general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall with the sign of the cross on Nov. 29. Pope Francis has “influenza and inflammation of the respiratory tract,” according to the Vatican’s spokesman Matteo Bruni, who said on Nov. 28 that the pope’s condition had “improved.”

“Doctors have asked the pope not to make the trip planned for the coming days to Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” Bruni said in the written statement on Tuesday night.

“Pope Francis accepted the doctors’ request with great regret,” he added.

The Vatican first made public that Pope Francis was ill on Nov. 25 when the pope was taken to a Rome hospital for precautionary testing.

A CT scan at the hospital “ruled out pneumonia, but it showed lung inflammation causing some breathing difficulties,” it said.

The pope was treated earlier this week with intravenous antibiotics and continued to meet with individuals and groups in a scaled-back schedule, including the president of Paraguay on Monday and French abuse victims on Tuesday.

At his Wednesday audience, Pope Francis sat on stage in front of the crowd in the Paul VI Hall throughout the one-hour public audience, which included a circus performance.

Monsignor Filippo Ciampanelli, an official in the Vatican Secretariat of State, read aloud the pope’s spiritual reflection on “the passion for evangelization.”

At the end of the general audience, Pope Francis spoke briefly, asking people to continue to pray for Israel and Palestine. He expressed hope that the ceasefire will continue and that all hostages will be released.

“And please continue to pray for the grave situation in Israel and Palestine. Peace. Please, peace,” Pope Francis said.

“I hope that the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza will continue, that all hostages will be released, and that necessary humanitarian aid will still be allowed in. I heard from the parish there that there is a lack of water, a lack of bread, and people are suffering,” he added. “We ask for peace.”

This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency. 

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music launches ‘Let’s Sing with the Pope’ video series

The Vatican’s sacred music school is seeking to teach Catholics worldwide how to sing ancient Gregorian chant as a means to help the faithful participate actively in the liturgy, including in papal Masses.

Pope Francis Still Expected to Travel to Portugal for World Youth Day

Pope Francis is still expected to travel to Portugal in August for the 37th World Youth Day. The

Woman born of surrogacy shares why she supports Pope Francis’ call for a global ban

Don't miss this eye-opening article shedding light on the untold stories behind surrogacy. Olivia Maurel, born via surrogacy, shares her traumatic experiences and joins the call for its abolition, echoing Pope Francis' stance.

The Month of June and the Sacred Heart of Jesus

June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that celebrates Christ’s immense love for humanity.

Serving Refugees at Centro Astalli: A Seminarian’s Perspective

In this segment, Chukwuma Odigwe, a seminarian from the Archdiocese of Washington studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, shares his experience serving at the Centro Astalli - Center for Refugees.

LIVE from St. Peter Square | Regina Coeli with Pope Francis

LIVE from St. Peter Square | Join us for the recitation of the Regina Coeli prayer led by

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTN.it