Pope Cancels Trip To Dubai For UN Climate Conference On Doctors’ Orders While Recovering From Flu

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has canceled his trip to Dubai for the U.N. climate conference on doctors’ orders.

The announcement marked the second time the pope’s frail health had forced the cancellation of a foreign trip: He had to postpone a planned trip to Congo and South Sudan in 2022 because of knee inflammation, though he was able to make the trip earlier this year.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis was improving from the flu and inflammation of his respiratory tract that forced him to cancel his audiences Saturday.

But he said “the doctors have asked the pope not to make the trip planned for the coming days to Dubai.”