The Vatican press office announced that Pope Francis will not be holding an audience on Saturday due to a mild case of the flu. No additional information was provided.

Francis had a meeting planned with deacons from Rome in the morning.

The Vatican’s representative, Matteo Bruni, stated on Saturday that the pope’s regular Sunday Angelus speech has not been confirmed yet and there will be no additional updates on his health for the day.

The pope, who is 87 years old, has experienced various health issues in the past few years. In late November, he had to cancel certain engagements and a planned international trip due to difficulties with his breathing. A scan revealed that his lungs were not affected. As a young man living in Argentina, Francis had a portion of one lung removed.

The Vatican reported that in April, the pope was hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for bronchitis and stayed for three days. After receiving intravenous antibiotics, he was released.

Francis was hospitalized for 10 days in July 2021 due to intestinal surgery to address bowel narrowing. In June 2023, he returned to the hospital for a procedure to fix an abdominal hernia and remove scar tissue from previous surgeries.

During a recent TV interview, Francis was asked about his well-being to which he responded with his usual line: “I’m still alive, you know.”

In the last two years, Francis has expressed multiple times his willingness to retire, following the lead of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, if his health declines to the extent that it hinders his leadership of the Catholic Church. Yet, in a recent television interview, he stated that he currently feels well and has no immediate intentions to step down.

There has been increased speculation about the health of Francis and what it means for his time as pope, especially after Benedict’s passing in late 2022. Benedict’s decision to resign in 2013 was a significant moment for the church, as he was the first pope in 600 years to do so.