CNN
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Pope Francis fell and injured his right arm, but suffered no fractures, according to the Vatican.
In a statement, the Holy See press service said that due to a fall Thursday morning at Casa Santa Marta, the pope’s residence, the 88-year-old pontiff “suffered a contusion on the front right arm, without fracture.
The press release added that his arm was “immobilized as a precautionary measure”.
Official photos showed the pope wearing a fabric scarf during his meetings.
Despite the fall, Francis held five meetings on Thursday according to the Vatican, including with Alvaro Lario, the president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and priests from an Argentine college based in Rome.
The pope led his general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday and seemed in good spirits, tossing a tennis ball to a dog during a circus performance.
The pope has suffered numerous health problems in recent years and this is the second fall he has suffered in a few weeks. In early December, he appeared with a large bruise on his chin after falling and hitting his bedside table during the night.
Since 2022, the Pope has used a wheelchair due to mobility problems caused by knee pain. In his recently published autobiography “Hope,” Francis said he was in good health and ruled out resigning from his post, but said “the reality is simply that I am old.”
He said it was “embarrassing at first to have to use a wheelchair, but old age never comes by itself and you have to accept it as it is.”
He added: “The Church is governed with the head and the heart, not with the legs. I do physical therapy twice a week, use a cane, take as many steps as I can and keep going.
This story has been updated.
