Pope Francis will not go to climate conference on doctor’s orders

Pope Francis will not be attending a climate conference in Dubai this week after doctors ordered the aging leader to skip the conference due to health issues, the Holy See press office said Tuesday.

The pope was expected to attend the conference this week, despite canceling several other meetings and presenting the homily in the Vatican virtually on Sunday. The Vatican has said the Catholic leader has inflammation in his lungs and a mild flu.

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“Although the Holy Father’s general clinical picture has improved with regard to his flu-like condition and inflammation of the respiratory tract, doctors have asked the Pope not to make the trip planned for the coming days to Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See press office, said in a statement obtained by ABC News.

Francis went to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for tests on Saturday and tested negative for any respiratory problems except the mild flu.

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Francis, 86, has had several health battles in recent years, including a weeklong hospital stay after a hernia surgery in June. The recovery from the surgery earlier this year caused him to limit public appearances in the weeks following the procedure. He was also hospitalized for three days with pneumonia or bronchitis earlier this year.

Francis is still scheduled to hold his weekly meeting with the public on Wednesday.