Coughing Pope cancels participation in rural Lenten retreat
A coughing Pope Francis told pilgrims gathered for the traditional Sunday blessing that he was cancelling his participation at a week-long spiritual retreat in the Roman countryside because of a cold.
It is the first time in his sevenyear papacy that he has missed the spiritual exercises that he initiated early in his pontificate to mark the start of each Lenten season.
The 83-year-old pontiff, who lost part of a lung to a respiratory illness as a young man, has cancelled several engagements this week as he battled an apparent cold.
His weekly appearance to pilgrims from a window high above St Peter’s Square was the first time he has been seen publicly since Ash Wednesday, when he was seen coughing and blowing his nose during mass.
Francis paused twice to cough yesterday during his address. At the end, he asked for prayers for the spiritual retreat, adding: “Unfortunately a cold prevents me from participating this year. I will be following the meditation from here.”
Last week the Pope cancelled two planned official audiences – formal affairs in the Apostolic
Palace where Francis would have delivered a speech and greeted a great number of people at the end. Those were to include an audience with members of the scandal-marred Legion of Christ Roman Catholic order.
Francis has never previously cancelled so many audiences or events in his papacy. He was, however, continuing to work from his residence at the Vatican.