Pope health fears Pope Francis cancels Rome Mass due to illness as coronavirus hits Italy
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1248126/pope-francis-health-latest-coronavirus-outbreak-italy-covid-19-pope-vatican-rome-mass
POPE FRANCIS has cancelled a planned Mass with Rome clergy to a "slight" illness
The Pope was due to go to the Basilica of St. John's in Lateran this morning for a Lenten service with Roman priests but did not attend because he had a "slight indisposition". Spokesman Matteo Bruni said: "Because of a slight indisposition, he preferred to stay inside Santa Marta. All other commitments will go ahead regular The nature of the Pope's illness has not been disclosed, but he was seen coughing and blowing his nose during yesterday's Ash Wednesday Mass.ly."
He had been scheduled to go to the St John Lateran basilica to meet with Rome clergy and celebrate a penitential Mass at the start of Lent. Francis is bishop of Rome, but delegates the day-to-day running of the archdiocese to a vicar.
The 83-year-old pontiff has generally enjoyed good health.
He lost part of one lung as a young man because of a respiratory illness, and suffers from sciatica, which makes walking difficult.
Pope Francis health: The Pope cancelled a planned mass this morning (Image: EMPICS)
Pope Francis has cancelled a planned Mass with Rome clergy to a "slight" illness (Image: EMPICS)
It comes amid an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy that has infected more than 400 people, almost all of them in the north.
Italy has become Europe's worst-affected country from the deadly virus.
Despite the outbreak, the Pope has not hesitated to get out of his vehicle to greet and kiss attendees.
Pope Francis is known hugging the faithful or accepting kisses on his cheek or forehead
It comes amid an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy that has infected more than 400 people (Image: EMPICS)
Yesterday he showed solidarity with those suffering from the outbreak and praised those working to battle the virus.
He said: "I would like to express my closeness to the coronavirus patients and to the health workers who are treating them, as well as to the civil authorities."
The Vatican released a picture of the pope and Cardinal Antonio Tagle, a Filipino who has just started in a new post in the Vatican, meeting on Thursday morning with members of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, an international environmental group.
The meeting took place in a building steps from the guest house.
Pope Francis kissed a child during a service yesterday (Image: EMPICS)
It comes as 75 new cases of coronavirus in Italy have just been confirmed by offficials.
Meanwhile, Iran's former ambassador to the Vatican Hadi Khosroshahi has died of the virus.
Coronavirus latest: Does the pope have coronavirus? Pope Francis sick
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1248485/Coronavirus-latest-does-the-pope-have-coronavirus-pope-francis-health-update
Pope Francis, 83, has fallen ill and cancelled events in the basilica on Thursday and has been forced to cancel all official audiences for a second day on Friday.
During an afternoon Ash Wednesday service in Rome, the pope appeared to have a cold, was blowing his nose, coughing and spoke with a hoarse voice.
The pontiff, who had shown solidarity with coronavirus sufferers during his service said: “I wish, again, to express my closeness to those who are ill with coronavirus and to health-care workers who are caring for them.”
Pope Francis carried out the rest of his Thursday schedule in his residence and continued to do so on Friday.
A Vatican spokesman said on Thursday: “Because of a slight indisposition, he preferred to stay inside Santa Marta.
“All other commitments will go ahead regularly.”
The pope has not specifically met with coronavirus sufferers but he shook hands with people in the front row during the service.
He also kissed a baby during his popemobile spin through St Peter’s Square and greeted visiting bishops, but the clergy members appeared to refrain from kissing his ring or embracing him as they normally would.
On Friday, spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope had delivered early morning Mass as customary in the chapel of the Santa Marta guest house where he lives and greeted those who attended.
Mr Bruni said: "But he thought it was best to postpone today's official audiences.
"The meetings scheduled to take place in Santa Marta will take place regularly."
He added that the pope was still feeling "slightly unwell".
On Friday morning, Pope Francis was due to meet executives from Microsoft Corp, International Business Machines Corp, and other technology companies.
His speech to them from the Apostolic Palace was going to be streamed to participants of a conference in Rome on ethics in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The pope usually spends mornings making speeches to groups and meeting heads of state in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.
But unlike previous popes, he chose not to live in its spacious papal apartments and opted for simple quarters in Santa Marta, where he spends the rest of the day mostly working on Church matters.