Pope Francis Unable to Attend Events Due to Cold

Pope Francis will not be able to participate in the Spiritual Exercises week due to a cold. He announced this during his sermon in St. Peter's Square on March 1, as reported by the Vatican's website.

Francis addressed the attendees from a window of the Vatican Palace, mentioning that he would not be able to travel to the town of Ariccia, located near Rome, due to his cold.

According to AFP, the Pope's Sunday address was the first since news about his "light illness." Previously, he had last appeared in public on February 26 during a mass in Rome, where attendees noticed he was coughing and showing signs of a cold.