Pope Francis canceled all scheduled audiences on Monday due to a "slight flu-like state," the Vatican confirmed.
Despite the precautionary move, officials assured that plans for the 87-year-old to visit Belgium and Luxembourg later this week remain unchanged.
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni clarified that the cancellation only applied to Monday's engagements.
He emphasized that the Pope's two upcoming European trips would proceed as planned.
The visit, starting in Luxembourg on Thursday and concluding with a Mass in Brussels on Sunday, includes celebrating the 600th anniversary of Belgium's Catholic universities and addressing the ongoing challenges of clergy sexual abuse revelations.
Monday's canceled meetings included an audience with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and participants in a Christmas contest.
Each of the prepared texts Francis was set to deliver were released, but he did not meet attendees in person.
One of the more sensitive aspects of the Pope's upcoming trip involves addressing ongoing revelations of clergy sexual abuse in Belgium, a country that has seen widespread cases of abuse and cover-ups exposed over the last two decades.
In 2010, a scandal broke in Belgium that led to the resignation of Roger Vangheluwe, the Bishop of Bruges, after admitting to abusing his nephew for years.
The Pontiff's press office's description of his condition echoes a pattern seen throughout last autumn and winter when Francis experienced repeated bouts of bronchitis and influenza.
Francis has faced multiple health challenges in recent years, sparking concerns about his ability to keep up with his demanding schedule.
He has used a wheelchair for the past two years due to chronic knee pain and other mobility issues.
In November 2023, he canceled a brief visit to Dubai for the U.N. climate conference on the advice of his doctors, who were concerned about lung inflammation.
This culminated in a three-day hospital stay to receive IV antibiotic treatment.
Francis is especially vulnerable in this regard—he only has one lung due to a respiratory infection in his youth.
The past few years have seen two invasive surgeries: one in 2021, where 13 inches of his colon were removed, and a follow-up procedure in 2023 to address an abdominal hernia.
Francis' health was already under scrutiny following his recent 11-day trip to Asia, the longest of his papacy.
That trip, which covered four nations, concluded 10 days ago and included a series of demanding public engagements.
He visited Mongolia, where he became the first pope in history to do so, and made stops in Vietnam, East Timor, and the Philippines.
Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has made 44 international trips and visited 61 countries.
The Pope's schedule has remained packed since returning from Asia, including meetings with bishops and a significant event on Friday with members of popular movements.
His responsibilities are expected to intensify further with the October synod, where bishops will engage in extensive debates about the future of the church in closed-door sessions.
Catholicism's approach to women in power, the LGBTQ+ community, and clerical celibacy are all expected to be included.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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