Pope Francis Undergoes Diagnostic Tests In Rome Hospital After Papal Audience

The Pontiff arrived at the Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in a small white Fiat 500 and left under escort in the same car after a short visit.

Pope Francis: The Vatican on Wednesday said that Pope Francis was brought to a hospital in Rome for diagnostic testing after the papal audience. The Vatican did not give further details.

Pope Francis recently had the flu.

The Pontiff arrived at the Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in a small white Fiat 500 and left under escort in the same car after a short visit.

Earlier in the day, Pope Francis, 87, was pushed in a wheelchair into the audience hall at the Vatican, appearing weary as he dropped heavily into his seat. In recent weeks he has walked the short distance to his chair, but he has been struggling with mild flu symptoms the past week.

Earlier, he had to cancel his appointments on Saturday and Monday due to the flu but appeared as usual for the Sunday blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Last week, Pope Francis coughed repeatedly as he presided over Ash Wednesday services at a Roman church, and opted not to participate in the traditional procession that inaugurates the church’s Lenten season.

Four years back in 2020 when the world and Italy were battling the coronavirus pandemic, Francis also suffered a bad cold that forced him to cancel several days of official audiences and his participation in the Vatican’s annual spiritual retreat. The Vatican had already scrubbed the retreat for this year in favor of personal spiritual exercises.

The Argentine Pontiff had part of one lung removed when he was young because of a respiratory infection and in 2021 had a chunk of his colon removed because of an intestinal inflammation. He has been using a wheelchair and cane since last year because of strained knee ligaments and a small knee fracture that have made walking and standing difficult.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the ratification of the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention on Wednesday, the Pope used brief words at the end of the audience, expressing his “closeness to the numerous victims of these insidious devices that remind us of the dramatic cruelty of war.”

He also appealed for peace in the Middle East, and Ukraine, and prayed for the victims of attacks in Burkina Faso and Haiti.

(With AP inputs)