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Pope misses Lenten ‘Spiritual Exercises’ due to a cold

Pope Francis has cancelled his participation in the traditional fasting retreat during the season of Lent outside of Rome, known as the Spiritual Exercises, because of a cold.

The 83-year-old head of the Catholic Church has been ill for several days, which recently led him to cancel some of his appointments.

On Sunday, Francis delivered the Angelus prayer to the faithful from the window of his residence in Vatican City.

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He then apologized for his absence during the Spiritual Exercises, days of reflection with Curia members in Ariccia in the Alban Hills, which was supposed to start in the evening.

“Unfortunately, the cold is forcing me not to take part; this year I will accompany the meditations from here,” he said.

Francis had already looked pale and was coughing in the past few days. The disease came to light when he was absent from an event on Thursday due to a “slight illness.”

After the prayer, the pope also spoke on Sunday about the critical situation of displaced people and migrants, without specifically addressing Syria or the borders of Turkey.

“It has become very intense these days. Let us pray for them,” the Pontiff said.

In Italy, there is a major outbreak of the novel coronavirus, with more than 1,100 infected people, but it is centred in the north of the country and not in Rome. Francis is generally in good health, but he has only one lung and discomfort when walking. (dpa)

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