Pope Francis Injured In Second Fall At Vatican

Pope Francis sustained a bruise on his right forearm following a fall at his residence in the Santa Marta House within the Vatican, the Holy See announced on Thursday.

The incident marks the pontiff’s second fall in recent months, following a December 2024 incident when the Pope was seen with a large bruise on his jaw, attributed to a fall from his bed.

According to the Vatican press office, the Pope did not suffer any fractures, but his arm has been immobilised as a precaution.

“This morning, due to a fall at the Santa Marta house, Pope Francis suffered a bruise to his right forearm, without fractures,” the Vatican said in Italian.

“The arm was immobilized as a precautionary measure,” the statement read.

Despite the fall, Francis held five meetings on Thursday according to the Vatican, including a meeting with Alvaro Lario, the President of the International Fund of Agricultural Development, and priests from an Argentine college, based in Rome.

The 88-year-old Argentine-born pontiff, who has served as head of the Catholic Church since 2013, has faced increasing health challenges in recent years, including chronic knee and hip pain, which has made him rely on a wheelchair since 2022.

Additionally, the Pope has faced recurrent episodes of bronchitis.

Despite these issues, Pope Francis remains highly active, having completed a four-nation tour in September 2024, the longest during his time.

In his recently published autobiography “Hope”, the pontiff insisted he is in good health, ruling out any possible resignation from his position,

“The reality is, quite simply, that I am old,” he said.

According to him, it was “embarrassing at first to have to use a wheelchair, but old age never arrives by itself, and it must be accepted for what it is.

“The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs. I do physiotherapy twice a week, use a walking stick, do as many steps as possible, and carry on,” he added.

Pope Francis Injured In Second Fall At Vatican is first published on The Whistler Newspaper