VATICAN (ChurchMilitant.com) – Pope Francis is no longer traveling to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference as he continues to recover from illness, despite his Monday statement that he would make the journey to the United Arab Emirates.
The Vatican announced on Tuesday that the nearly 87-year-old pontiff would no longer make the trip after physicians suggested that he remain at the Vatican.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni explained:
Although the Holy Father’s general clinical picture has improved with regard to his ‘flu-like condition and inflammation of the respiratory tract, the doctors have advised the Pope not to make the trip planned for the coming days to Dubai, on the occasion of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“Pope Francis accepted the doctors’ request with great regret and the trip is therefore canceled,” Bruni added. “As the Pope and the Holy See remain willing to be part of the discussions taking place over the next few days, the methods by which this can take place will be defined as soon as possible.”
At his Wednesday general audience, Francis shared that he is “still not well” and had his speech read by another because his “voice is not good.” At the close of the event, Pope Francis momentarily spoke again, pleading, “And please continue to pray for the grave situation in Israel and Palestine. Peace. Please. Peace.”
Pope Francis was originally set to speak on Saturday at the U.N. climate conference. The pope’s health has been called into question over the last couple of years, following multiple trips to the hospital, but the current issue seems to be minor at this time.
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