Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

Pope Francis has canceled his scheduled audiences on September 23 due to a "mild flu-like condition," according to the Vatican press office. The 87-year-old pontiff will be resting as a "precautionary measure" ahead of his planned trip to Luxembourg and Belgium from September 26-29.

The pope returned to the Vatican on September 13 after a 12-day trip to Asia and the Pacific. Upon his return, he met with members of a pilgrimage in St. Peter’s Basilica early the next morning and maintained a full schedule for the following ten days.

On September 22, Pope Francis recited the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square without showing any obvious signs of illness. Despite canceling his appointments, the Vatican released the texts of speeches he had prepared for meetings with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and participants in a Vatican-related Christmas song contest.

Pope Francis, who underwent surgery in 1957 to remove part of one lung following a severe respiratory infection, has been prone to colds and bronchitis as he ages. His last health-related cancellation occurred in late February when he was taken to Rome’s Gemelli Isola Hospital for "diagnostic tests" after a general audience on February 28. He later revealed that he had bronchitis.

Last year, suffering from "the flu and inflammation of the respiratory tract," Pope Francis canceled an early December trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he was scheduled to address the U.N. Climate Change Conference. This cancellation was made just four days before the trip was set to begin.