VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis announced on Sunday that a cold he is suffering from has forced him to skip a Lenten spiritual retreat with senior Vatican officials near Rome for the first time in his papacy.

The surprise announcement, which will keep him from attending a gathering he holds dear, marked the first health scare for the 83-year-old pontiff since his election in 2013.

As of late Saturday night, the Vatican said the pope would be taking part in the retreat, indicating that the decision to skip it was a last-minute one. The retreat was due to start on Sunday afternoon.

The pope made the announcement to thousands of people in St Peter’s Square during his first public appearance since Wednesday, when he was seen coughing and sneezing.

“Unfortunately a cold will force me not take part this year (in the retreat). I will follow the meditations from here,” he said, departing from his prepared address.

Pope Francis coughed several times while making his brief address on Sunday and sounded like he had a stuffy nose. He is missing a part of one lung. It was removed when he was in his early 20s in his native Buenos Aires after an illness.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2020