Italy: Pope Francis will not attend the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, due to health issues.
The 86-year-old Pope was supposed to depart on Friday in order to give a speech on Saturday at the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai. He would have become the first pope to address a UN climate conference. Alongside the event on Sunday, he was scheduled to inaugurate a faith pavilion.
According to Vatican spokesman Mr. Matteo Bruni Mr. Francis’s health was improving after the flu and inflammation of his respiratory tract forced him to cancel his audiences on Saturday, but the doctors advised him not to travel to Dubai.
The Vatican said in a statement that the pope decided not to travel “with great regret” and that it would investigate how the head of the Roman Catholic Church could participate in the climate talks virtually.
Pope Francis, who underwent a CT scan last week after getting the flu, had a portion of one lung removed when he was younger. Later, the Vatican announced that the test had ruled out pneumonia.
In order to avoid the cold, he skipped his traditional Sunday appearance at his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. Instead, he requested a priest read aloud his written daily reflections and offered the customary noon blessing during a televised visit from the chapel of the Vatican hotel where he resides.
A knee ailment forced the pope to cancel his 2022 tour to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was capable of making that trip earlier in the year, as per the statement.
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