Pope health fears: Pope Francis cancels Rome Mass due to illness as coronavirus hits Italy

POPE FRANCIS has cancelled a planned Mass with Rome clergy to a "slight" illness.

PUBLISHED: 11:25, Thu, Feb 27, 2020 | UPDATED: 16:22, Thu, Feb 27, 2020

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The Pope was due to go to the Basilica of St. John's in Lateran this morning for a Lenten service with Roman priests but did not attend because he had a "slight indisposition". Spokesman Matteo Bruni said: "Because of a slight indisposition, he preferred to stay inside Santa Marta. All other commitments will go ahead regularly."

The nature of the Pope's illness has not been disclosed, but he was seen coughing and blowing his nose during yesterday's Ash Wednesday Mass.

He had been scheduled to go to the St John Lateran basilica to meet with Rome clergy and celebrate a penitential Mass at the start of Lent. Francis is bishop of Rome, but delegates the day-to-day running of the archdiocese to a vicar.

The 83-year-old pontiff has generally enjoyed good health.

He lost part of one lung as a young man because of a respiratory illness, and suffers from sciatica, which makes walking difficult.

Pope Francis health: The Pope cancelled a planned mass this morning (Image: EMPICS)

Pope Francis has cancelled a planned Mass with Rome clergy to a "slight" illness (Image: EMPICS)

It comes amid an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy that has infected more than 400 people, almost all of them in the north.

Italy has become Europe's worst-affected country from the deadly virus.

Despite the outbreak, the Pope has not hesitated to get out of his vehicle to greet and kiss attendees.

Pope Francis is known hugging the faithful or accepting kisses on his cheek or forehead.

It comes amid an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy that has infected more than 400 people (Image: EMPICS)

Yesterday he showed solidarity with those suffering from the outbreak and praised those working to battle the virus.

He said: "I would like to express my closeness to the coronavirus patients and to the health workers who are treating them, as well as to the civil authorities."

The Vatican released a picture of the pope and Cardinal Antonio Tagle, a Filipino who has just started in a new post in the Vatican, meeting on Thursday morning with members of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, an international environmental group.

The meeting took place in a building steps from the guest house.