Several days before Pope Francis is expected to touch down in Belgium, his audience has been cancelled on Monday due to a mild flu.
All of Pope Francis' audiences scheduled for 23 September have been cancelled, the Holy See Press Office confirmed to Vatican News. A statement from the press office said the Pope was suffering from a mild flu and was choosing to rest ahead of his upcoming visit to Luxembourg and Belgium later this week.
After stopping in neighbouring Luxembourg on Thursday 26 September, he will be visiting Belgium until Sunday 29 September, as part of the 600th anniversary of the Catholic KU Leuven and UC Louvain universities. This is a unique occasion, as it marks the first papal visit to the country in around three decades.
He will visit Brussels, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve. A visit to the Basilica of Koekelberg in Brussels is also on the agenda. Thousands of people are expected at these sites to catch a glimpse of His Holiness, so several special security measures will apply during the visit.
Among others, a ban will be imposed on sharp objects, backpacks, large bags and flags in places the Pope visits. The use of drones is also prohibited.
Reports of his illness are likely to raise concerns over the visit, for which a number of preparations have been made. The Pope has previously had to cancel several engagements because of his health. His 12-day trip to Asia and the Pacific in the first half of this month went well, but the Argentine-born pope was mostly seen in a wheelchair due to knee pain and a hip problem.
