Pope Francis cited his poor health as he declined to read a prepared speech at a meeting with European rabbis, and a Vatican spokesperson said he had a “bit of a cold”. Francis has long history of health problems. A flare-up caused the pope to miss New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day services in December 2020, the first time health problems had caused him to miss major religious events. Francis had part of one lung removed in his early 20s while training to be a priest in Argentina. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, opened up the door to papal resignations and Francis has said they should become the norm.

Source: The Guardian November 07, 2023 03:17 UTC