Pope Francis Cancels Meetings, Citing Flu With More Travel Looming

Pope Francis canceled appointments on Monday because of a mild flu, according to the Vatican, which said the move was a precautionary step as the pontiff prepares to travel to Belgium and Luxembourg this week.

The news of Francis’ illness came 10 days after the pope returned from a long trip to the Asia-Pacific region, a tour that was seen as a test of his health and endurance. During those travels, which included dozens of hours in the air and visits to humid, polluted cities, Francis, 87, often appeared lively and energetic, but the cancellation of his audiences on Monday revived concerns about his health.

Francis, who has been using a wheelchair and who lost part of a lung when he was young, canceled some commitments in the past year because of a flu and lung inflammation. The Vatican did not announce any changes to the trip to Belgium, which remained planned for Thursday to Sunday.

During that visit, Francis is scheduled to meet with a group of victims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy, according to Cathobel, a website associated with the French-speaking church in Belgium. In 2010, a commission established by the church reported pervasive abuse in the country.

Francis has been hospitalized three times in the past few years. In June 2023, he had surgery for a hernia that had been causing painful intestinal blockages. He had a colon operation in 2021, and in March last year he was hospitalized because of a respiratory infection.

The pope’s Asia-Pacific trip this month was the longest of his 11-year tenure and was taken despite his having said that traveling has become harder for him. Supporters viewed the tour as a sign not only of his determination to build a church with a less Eurocentric future but also of his personal resilience.

Taking another trip, even a much shorter one, only two weeks after returning is likely to test that resilience again.