Flu Affected, Pope Francis Cancels Meeting

Pope Francis/DOK via Instagram @franciscus

JAKARTA - Pope Francis canceled a scheduled meeting due to mild flu.

The Vatican, reported by Reuters on Monday, September 23, said the 87-year-old Pope took the decision as a precaution given his four-day trip plans to Luxembourg and Belgium this weekend but did not provide further details.

Pope Francis is scheduled to begin his journey, his 46th overseas visit as the Pope, on Thursday. This happened less than two weeks after he returned from a tiring tour of four countries for 12 days in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Francis is now regularly using wheelchairs due to knee and back pain. He has also suffered from a bad illness in recent years.

Earlier this year, the Pope canceled several appointments because of what the Vatican calls flu, bronchitis, and influenza.

The Pope appeared in good condition during his visit on September 2-13 to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He maintains a busy schedule, becomes the headline in more than 40 events, and records a total distance of nearly 33,000 km.

His visit to Luxembourg and Belgium is expected to highlight the needs of migrants in Europe and include meetings with survivors of abuse by Catholic priests.

Pope Francis' agenda in Luxembourg and Belgium will be lighter than his visits to Southeast Asia and Oceania, with the Pope scheduled to take part in a dozen events over four days.