Pope Francis went this Wednesday to the Gemelli hospital on the Tiber Island, in the center of Rome, to undergo “some diagnostic tests”, after explaining that he still has a cold and had previously reported that he had the flu.
“After the general audience, Pope Francis went to the Gemelli Isola Tiberina hospital to undergo some diagnostic tests. He then returned to the Vatican,” the Vatican confirmed.
Francis arrived at the center in the vehicle he normally travels in and returned to the Vatican less than an hour later.
The pontiff had already gone on another occasion to the Tiber Island hospital, a branch of the Gemelli Polyclinic where popes are admitted, to undergo a computed tomography (CT) scan when he suffered bronchitis.
The pope previously held the general audience before thousands of people in the Paul VI hall of the Vatican, but he stated that he still had a bit of a cold and preferred that the catechism be read by a collaborator.
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The car carrying Pope Francis leaves the hospital after a medical visit, in Rome, Italy.
“I still have a bit of a cold, that's why I have asked Monsignor (Filippo) Ciampanelli to read the catechesis,” said the pope, who arrived in a wheelchair to the Paul VI hall, where the audience is being held.
Nor did he read the speech at the audience to the bishops of the Cilician patriarchal church of the Armenians, which he received before the general audience.
Last monday, The Vatican reported that “mild flu symptoms persisted, although without fever,” but that as a precaution the planned hearings had been suspended.
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![Pope Francisco](https://www.eltiempo.com/files/article_vertical_content_new/files/crop/uploads/2023/12/25/6589df9cd4ec7.r_1709133793390.1485-0-2813-2000.jpeg)
Pope Francis during his Christmas greeting.
The pontiff did celebrate the traditional Sunday prayer of the Angelus on Sunday leaned out of the window of the papal palace and read with a good voice before the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
At the end of November, the Pope suffered from bronchitis for which he had to cancel some of the events and celebrate the Angelus in private and also be replaced by a collaborator to read his speeches.
To allow his recovery, the Argentine pontiff canceled the trip planned at the beginning of December to Dubai to participate in the Climate Summit.
But later he recovered completely and even on December 8 he went to the Plaza de EspaƱa to the traditional tribute to the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.
EFE
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