As of: February 28, 2024, 1:10 p.m
By: Richard Strobl
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Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall.
in the Vatican.
© Andrew Medichini/dpa
Pope Francis continues to suffer from health problems.
He briefly visited a hospital on Wednesday.
Before that, he had spoken, clearly feeling weakened.
Vatican City/Rome – Believers continue to worry about the head of the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis has been suffering from a cold for several days.
On Wednesday the pontiff even visited a hospital.
Immediately after the general audience that traditionally took place on Wednesday morning, Pope Francis was taken to the Gemelli Hospital on the Tiber Island in his white Fiat 500, reports the Italian news agency
Ansa
.
So far, the Vatican has not provided any details about the “visit.”
According to the state television station Rai, Francis has now left the hospital.
He drove back by car around twelve o'clock.
The car carrying Pope Francis leaves the Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in Rome.
Pope Francis, who is suffering from flu, was taken to a hospital in central Rome in a small white Fiat 500 after Wednesday's papal audience and left after a short time in the same car.
© Andrew Medichini/dpa
Pope Francis visits hospital in Rome
According to
Ansa
, it was probably a planned visit to the hospital.
However, there had been no public announcement.
Francis had to cancel his planned appointments on Monday.
The Vatican spoke of “mild flu symptoms, without fever.”
The hearings were “suspended as a precautionary measure”.
And the Pope also suspended appointments on Saturday.
Plagued by illness: Pope Francis speaks out with a cough
On Wednesday morning the pontiff still attended his appointments.
First, he received Armenian Catholic bishops at a private audience in the Vatican.
However, Francis did not read the text prepared for this purpose himself, but was represented.
Francis also took part in the subsequent general audience, although he arrived in the Nervi Hall in a wheelchair.
Here he spoke out with a clearly affected voice, as reported by
Repubblica
, among others .
With a cough, Francis said: “I still have a slight cold” and explained why he was also represented at this reading.
Pope Francis has been suffering from health problems for months.
Three months ago he suffered a lung infection.
That's why the
87-year-old had to cancel his planned trip to the World Climate Summit
.
In January the pontiff suffered again from a respiratory infection.