Pope Francis is back at the Vatican after he visited a Rome hospital Wednesday while battling influenza, officials said.
The 87-year-old Francis visited the Tiber Island hospital after a weekly general audience, and he received a CT scan, according to a report citing two medical sources.
“The examination was negative and the Pope returned to Casa Santa Marta,” the Vatican’s Telegram channel reported.
Francis had visited the same hospital for another CT scan, which helps detect internal injuries and diseases through cross-section images, during a November bout with influenza.
A Vatican-registered white Fiat could be seen leaving the Tiber Island medical facility close to midday.
Francis told the faithful he had not been feeling well earlier in the day, the report noted.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I still have a bit of a cold,” the pope said before the audience.
Furthermore, an aide delivered the reading regarding the holy father’s catechesis on two of the seven deadly sins, envy and vainglory, according to the report.
In total, the reading was little more than a page long, and Francis returned to call for peace and greet members of the faithful.
Wednesday’s visit to Rome is not the first time this week the pope’s health has interfered with his duties.
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He missed appointments Sunday and Monday over a mild flu, according to the report.
Prior to this week, he missed the December COP28 Dubai climate meeting due to lung inflammation and influenza, and he battled “a touch of bronchitis” in January.
