Pope Francis to skip weekly window appearance a day after Vatican described him as having a mild flu

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday was skipping his weekly appearance at a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, a day after the Vatican said he had come down with a mild flu.

In a brief statement, the Holy See’s press office said Francis would still recite the noon prayer, which is followed by his traditional blessing, from the chapel of the hotel on Vatican grounds where he lives. His prayer will be televised live and shown on big screens in the square, where thousands of people generally flock to see the appearance at the open window.

On Saturday, the Vatican said the pope, whose 87th birthday is next month, was taken to a Rome hospital to have a CT scan to rule out pulmonary complications and that the exam was negative.

Francis earlier this year was hospitalized for three days for what he later said was pneumonia and what the Vatican described as a case of bronchitis necessitating treatment with intravenous antibiotics.

This weekend has been very windy and unusually chilly for late autumn in Rome.

Francis on Friday is due to fly to Dubai for a two-night visit centered around his address the COP28 conference on climate change. On Saturday, the Vatican gave added details about his program there, suggesting that the pontiff planned to go ahead with the trip.