Prior to his trip to Belgium and Luxembourg, Pope Francis cancels his Monday appointments due to a mild case of flu

A Vatican statement states that Pope Francis has canceled his Monday appointments due to a slight case of the flu. The 87-year-old pope took this preventive measure.

A Vatican statement states that Pope Francis has canceled his Monday appointments due to a slight case of the flu. The 87-year-old pope took the action as a preventative measure before his planned four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg later this week.

The Vatican emphasized that the pope’s scheduled departure on Thursday for his 46th foreign tour is still on track, but they did not offer any other details. Francis just returned from a strenuous 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania less than two weeks ago. He headlined more than 40 concerts throughout four nations and around 33,000 kilometers during the journey.

The pope has had a number of health issues in the past, including episodes of illness earlier this year that resulted in appointment cancellations. He currently uses a wheelchair on a regular basis due to knee and back pain. But Francis seemed healthy throughout his recent trips to Singapore, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.

His next visit to Belgium and Luxembourg will be centered on topics including the needs of immigrants in Europe and will involve a meeting with victims of abuse by Catholic clergy. The journey to Europe will have a less hectic schedule than the one in Southeast Asia, with about twelve activities spread over four days.