Pope Francis said on Wednesday he was still suffering from a bout of bronchitis and asked an aide to read prepared remarks for a weekly general audience at the Vatican for the second time in two weeks.
“Me, with my bronchitis, I cannot (read) still,” the pope said. “I hope that next time I can.”
Francis, 88, has been pope since 2013 and has suffered from influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years.
Last week, Francis told pilgrims at the weekly audience that he was suffering from a “strong cold,” which the Vatican later described as bronchitis.
While Francis skipped reading the main part of his weekly message on Wednesday, he remained present for the hour-long audience and spoke briefly at several points during the meeting.
The pope has been keeping up his daily appointment schedule and taking meetings at the Vatican residence where he lives. On Tuesday, he also made a video appearance at Italy’s popular Sanremo song festival.
Pope Francis made a surprise appearance via video message at Italy’s premier musical event, telling participants at the 75th Sanremo Music Festival that music represents a message of peace capable of uniting diverse peoples.
Speaking from his residence at Casa Santa Marta in an unscheduled appearance, the pontiff praised music’s unique ability to transcend barriers.
“Music is beauty, music is an instrument of peace. It is a language that all peoples speak in different ways, reaching everyone’s heart,” the pope said in his message broadcast at the Teatro Ariston.
The Holy Father specifically addressed the plight of children affected by global conflicts.
“Many children cannot sing life — they weep and suffer because of the many injustices in the world, because of many wars, because of conflict situations,” Francis said. “Wars destroy children. Let us never forget that war is always a defeat.”
Francis concluded his message by meditating on music’s power to promote harmony among peoples.
Francis suffered two falls recently at his Vatican residence, bruising his chin in December and injuring his arm in January.
Source: Reuters