(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 02.28.2024).- At the conclusion of the general audience on Wednesday, February 28th, Pope Francis was taken directly to Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in a white Fiat 500 car. In the two previous meetings (a private audience with the synod of the Armenian Catholic Church and with hundreds of people at the general audience), the Pope did not read either the speech or the catechesis. In fact, in the Paul VI Audience Hall, he said at the beginning: «Dear brothers and sisters, I am still a little under the weather. That’s why I asked Monsignor Ciampanelli to read today’s catechesis. Thank you.»
It was ANSA that first reported the Pope’s transfer to the hospital. Later, the Holy See Press Office would communicate very briefly: «After the general audience, Pope Francis went to Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island for some diagnostic tests. Then he returned to the Vatican.»
Recently, the Pope has canceled his meeting schedule: it happened on Saturday, February 24th, and then on Monday, February 25th of the same month. In both cases, the reason given was a cold. However, in reality, the Pope seems not to have recovered from the cold. It was at the end of November 2023, specifically on the 25th, when the Pope was taken to the hospital for similar reasons, although at that time it was added that he had undergone a CT scan.
Subsequently, in audiences during December 2023 and January 2024, the Pope himself has said that he is unwell and that is why he does not read the speeches.
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