Pope Francis gives a candy to a baby at the end of his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (Image: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Pope Francis has been rushed to hospital in Rome after his flu symptoms worsened following an appearance at the Vatican. The 86-year-old was seen arriving and leaving Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in a small white Fiat 500.
Earlier in the day, he appeared tired as he was wheeled into the audience hall at the Vatican, where he seemed to slump heavily into his seat. Over the past week, he has been battling mild flu symptoms.
He cancelled appointments on Saturday and Monday due to his illness but managed to give his usual Sunday blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Last week, he was seen coughing repeatedly during Ash Wednesday services. Pope Francis, who had part of one lung removed when he was younger due to a respiratory infection, also had a section of his colon removed in 2021 because of inflammation.
Since last year, he has been using a wheelchair and cane due to strained knee ligaments and a minor knee fracture that have made walking and standing difficult, reports The Mirror.
The Pope spoke out on Wednesday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention, expressing his “closeness to the numerous victims of these insidious devices that remind us of the dramatic cruelty of war.”
He also made a plea for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, and prayed for those affected by attacks in Burkina Faso and Haiti. After his speech, the Pope spent about an hour meeting people from his wheelchair, chatting, blessing babies and swapping presents.
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