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Pope Francis fell Thursday and hurt his right arm, the Vatican said, just weeks after another apparent fall resulted in a bad bruise on his chin.
Francis didn’t break his arm, but a sling was put on as a precaution, the Vatican spokesman said in a statement
On Dec. 7, the pope whacked his chin on his nightstand in an apparent fall that resulted in a bad bruise.
The 88-year-old pontiff has faced various health issues such as prolonged bouts of bronchitis, leading him to rely on a wheelchair due to his deteriorating knees. Within his residence at the Santa Marta hotel, he utilizes a walker or cane for mobility.
The Vatican said that Thursday’s fall also occurred at Santa Marta, and the pope was later seen in audiences with his right arm in a sling.
Following a fall at the Santa Marta House, Pope Francis sustained a bruise on his right forearm, which fortunately did not result in a fracture. As a precaution, his arm has been immobilized, according to an announcement.
Concerns regarding the well-being of Francis persist within the Vatican community, particularly in light of Pope Benedict XVI’s unprecedented decision to step down from the papacy in 2013, breaking a tradition spanning six centuries.
Benedict’s aides have attributed the decision to a nighttime fall that he suffered during a 2012 trip to Mexico, after which he determined he couldn’t keep up with the globe-trotting demands of the papacy.
Francis has said, however, that he has no plans to resign anytime soon, even if Benedict “opened the door” to the possibility.
In his autobiography “Hope” released this week, Francis said that he hadn’t considered resigning even when he had major intestinal surgery.