Earlier this month, a mysterious incident unfolded as the distinguished figure, Pope Francis, had a minor accident while he was entering the Vatican auditorium for an audience. The handle of his walking stick unexpectedly broke, causing a moment of instability. Luckily, the Pope’s quick reflexes prevented him from falling. It is not uncommon for the Pope to rely on a wheelchair or cane due to issues with his knees. In fact, he had experienced two falls in the preceding two months. During his weekly general audience just two days ago, Pope Francis had to pause momentarily. He remarked, “With my bronchitis, I cannot (read) still. I hope that next time I can,” before one of his aides stepped in to finish the reading. The diagnosis of bronchitis was confirmed only last Thursday. The events took a more serious turn when the Pope was hospitalized on Friday for what was described as ‘necessary tests’. This development occurred as part of his ongoing treatment for bronchitis. The timing was particularly unfortunate as the upcoming weekend was supposed to be filled with a series of important events to commemorate the Catholic church’s jubilee year. Consequently, due to his medical condition, the jubilee audience scheduled for Saturday had to be called off, according to a statement from the Vatican. The Vatican further clarified that the Holy Mass planned for Sunday, February 16, to celebrate the Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture would be overseen by His Eminence Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Additionally, the anticipated gathering with artists, which was set to take place on Monday at Cinecittà , had to be cancelled due to the Pope’s inability to attend.
