Pope Francis has cancelled his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s square due to illness (Picture: Shutterstock)

Pope Francis has cancelled his audiences scheduled for Saturday morning because he has a slight fever, the Vatican said.

‘The Holy Father’s audiences scheduled for this morning are cancelled due to a mild flu,’ it said in a statement.

He is due to travel to Dubai on Friday for the Cop28 conference on climate change, a global challenge that he has deeply cared about during his papacy.

Francis will turn 87 next month. When asked about his health in a recent interview – after setbacks that included abdominal surgery just a few months ago to repair a hernia and remove intestinal scarring – Francis quipped in reply what has become his standard line: ‘Still alive, you know.’

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Pope Francis has cancelled his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s square due to illness