The 77-year-old Francis seemed tired but smiled frequently during a shorter-than-usual, 10-minute private audience today with the president of Madagascar. But the pope delivered a speech without problem to a visiting Orthodox delegation, and he had two other meetings with Vatican cardinals.
At the last minute, Francis skipped a visit yesterday to a Rome hospital, the third time this month he has cancelled or scaled back an event due to fatigue or illness.
The Vatican said he had suffered an "unexpected indisposition," but there were no concerns for his health. Francis has only one full lung, has a bad back and was down with an intestinal problem earlier this month.
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