Pope Francis, 86, has canceled all his appointments today because he has a fever and feels tired, the Vatican said amid recent concerns about the Argentine pontiff’s health.

Holy See spokesman Matteo Bruni said the Pope did not receive anyone in audience today, but did not elaborate on Francis’ morning schedule.

Two months ago, the pope was admitted to a Roman hospital with pneumonia. He was released three days later in the hospital after being given antibiotics. On Thursday, in an interview with the Spanish-language channel Telemundo, he said that this pneumonia was cured “on time.”

“If we had waited a few more hours, things could have been much more serious,” he admitted.

Regarding knee pain, which requires him to use a wheelchair or cane, he said he feels “much better.” “Some days are harder than others, like today, but it’s part of the recovery process,” he added.

In April, after returning from a trip to Hungary, the Pope said he planned to continue his visits abroad. He plans to travel to Portugal (August 2-6) and then Marseille in September, as well as Mongolia.

The Pope often receives representatives of religious and other organizations in the morning for official audiences, during which he usually makes speeches. The second half of the day is devoted to his work and personal meetings. Despite his advanced age, the pace of his work does not slow down: sometimes he makes up to ten morning appointments.

“Dad was tired, yesterday was a very busy day, he saw a lot of people, he had a meeting (with youth) (educational network) Scholas Occurentes, he wanted to greet everyone. At some point, endurance drops,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s “foreign minister,” commented today.

Francis is expected to lead the Pentecost service on Sunday.

Francis has said many times that he would consider resigning, as did his predecessor, Benedict East, who died in December if his health prevented him from working, but recently said the issue was not “relevant.”

In 2021, the pontiff was hospitalized for ten days after undergoing colon surgery. Last January, he discovered that he again had diverticulitis, inflammation of the diverticula, small bumps on the intestinal wall. He is under the close supervision of a team of doctors, both in the Vatican and during his travels abroad, as his medical history is difficult: when he was only 21 years old, he fell ill with acute pleurisy, and surgeons had to remove part of his right lung. .

Source: APE-MPE, AFP, Reuters.