Pope Francis suffered a fall at his residence in the Vatican, resulting in a bruised forearm, the Vatican announced on Thursday.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who has faced increasing health challenges in recent years, was reported to be wearing a sling but did not sustain any fractures.
“This morning, due to a fall at the Santa Marta house, Pope Francis suffered a contusion on his right forearm, without fractures. The arm was immobilised as a precautionary measure,” the Vatican press office stated.
The incident marks the second such fall for Pope Francis in the last few weeks. In December 2024, he appeared with a noticeable bruise on his jaw following a fall from his bed.
Despite his fragile health which includes knee and hip pain, recurring bronchitis, and the use of a wheelchair since 2022, the pope continues to maintain an active schedule. In September, he concluded his longest papal trip in terms of duration and distance, visiting four nations.
Pope Francis, who assumed the papacy in 2013, revealed additional personal accounts in his forthcoming autobiography, Hope, excerpts of which were recently published by Italian media. He recounted how he narrowly avoided two assassination attempts during his historic visit to Iraq in 2021.
“A woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading towards Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit,” he wrote in the book, set for release in over 80 countries this January.
He also disclosed, “And a van had also set off at great speed with the same intention,” crediting the British secret services for alerting Vatican security to the threats.
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