ROME (AP) — Pope Francis canceled his audiences Monday due to a “mild flu-like condition” just days before he was to begin a trip to Belgium and Luxembourg, the Vatican said.
The Vatican statement described the move as a “precautionary measure.”
Francis will visit Luxembourg on Thursday and then spend the rest of the week in Belgium, ending with a mass in Brussels on Sunday.
Francis, 87, who has struggled with a series of health problems in recent years, has been struggling since returning from a 11-day four-country tour on September 13 through Asia. It was the longest and furthest journey of his pontificate.
The statement from the Holy See press office described Francis as suffering from a “flu-like condition.” For much of the past winter, Francis had been suffering from acute bronchitis and recurring bouts of influenza, forcing him to cancel a short trip to Dubai to attend the UN climate conference.
In Belgium, Francis will celebrate the 600th anniversary of the country’s main Catholic universities and deliver a sermon to Belgians who have been hit for years by persistent revelations about clergy sexual abuse and cover-ups.
