Pope Francis hurts his right arm after falling for the second time in just over a month

Advertisement

Advertise with us

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis fell Thursday and hurt his right arm, the Vatican said, just weeks after another apparent fall resulted in a bad bruise on his chin.

Read this article for free:


or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Subscribe and receive a limited-edition Free Press branded hat or tote.

Digital Subscription

One year of digital access for only $205*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/01/2025 (633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis fell Thursday and hurt his right arm, the Vatican said, just weeks after another apparent fall resulted in a bad bruise on his chin.

Francis didn’t break his arm, but a sling was put on as a precaution, the Vatican spokesman said in a statement

On Dec. 7, the pope whacked his chin on his nightstand in an apparent fall that resulted in a bad bruise.

Pope Francis arrives in the Paul VI hall on the occasion of the weekly general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pope Francis arrives in the Paul VI hall on the occasion of the weekly general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

The 88-year-old pope, who has battled health problems including long bouts of bronchitis, often has to use a wheelchair because of bad knees. He uses a walker or cane when moving around his apartment in the Vatican’s Santa Marta hotel.

The Vatican said that Thursday’s fall also occurred at Santa Marta, and the pope was later seen in audiences with his right arm in a sling. At one of the meetings, Francis apologetically offered his left hand for a handshake when he greeted the head of the U.N. fund for agricultural development, Alvaro Lario.

“This morning, due to a fall at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis suffered a contusion to his right forearm, without fracture. The arm was immobilized as a precautionary measure,” the statement said.

Speculation about Francis’ health is a constant in Vatican circles, especially after Pope Benedict XVI broke 600 years of tradition and resigned from the papacy in 2013. Benedict’s aides have attributed the decision to a nighttime fall that he suffered during a 2012 trip to Mexico, after which he determined he couldn’t keep up with the globe-trotting demands of the papacy.

Francis has said that he has no plans to resign anytime soon, even if Benedict “opened the door” to the possibility. In his autobiography “Hope” released this week, Francis said that he hadn’t considered resigning even when he had major intestinal surgery.

FILE - Pope Francis reacts during a solemn mass where he made 21 new cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
FILE - Pope Francis reacts during a solemn mass where he made 21 new cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Report Error Submit a Tip

The Free Press acknowledges the financial support it receives from members of the city’s faith community, which makes our coverage of religion possible.

More Stories

Bombers beat Stamps, claim season series

1 minute read Yesterday at 9:01 PM CDT

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Calgary Stampeders 33-28 on Saturday night in front of a sell-out crowd at Princess Auto Stadium.

With the win, the Blue and Gold improve to 8-8 and bump up to fourth in the West Division standings. If the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-7) lose to the Montreal Alouettes (12-3) on Monday, the Bombers will move up to third.

With the loss, the Stampeders drop to 8-9 and fall to fifth place which has them currently on the outside of the playoff picture.

The Bombers now just need to finish the season with at least the same record as Calgary or Saskatchewan to qualify for the post-season since they own the tiebreaker over both West Division foes.

Police looking into robbery of children captured on video

Morgan Modjeski 3 minute read Preview

Police looking into robbery of children captured on video

Morgan Modjeski 3 minute read Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

The Winnipeg Police Service said it is aware of a video circulating online that appears to show two children robbed while walking home from the library.

The mother of the siblings said the Sept. 26 incident, which happened in the area of Andrews Street and Magnus Avenue at around 7:30 p.m., has left her children afraid and her feeling guilty.

“I should have been there with them. I felt horrible,” said Brittany Beaudet. “I would have been out the door if I knew any sooner to help them out.”

In the 40-second video, the two children, 14-year-old Mason and nine-year-old Kenzie, are approached by a man wearing a black shirt, black pants and white shoes.

Read
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Chopped trees will leave a ‘blight’ on Windsor Park

Kelly-Anne Riess 3 minute read Preview

Chopped trees will leave a ‘blight’ on Windsor Park

Kelly-Anne Riess 3 minute read Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Robert Gordon has watched the trees grow along a popular Windsor Park walking path for nearly six decades.

Now, as Manitoba Hydro cuts them down to protect nearby power lines, he says a familiar part of his childhood neighbourhood is disappearing.

Although he no longer lives in the area, Gordon regularly returns to walk or cycle along the tree-lined path, which runs parallel to Archibald Street.

He was concerned when he recently spotted crews clearing vegetation near the entrance to the path, but initially assumed they were removing brush. When he returned, he discovered the clearing had extended farther along the corridor.

Read
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Person killed in workplace accident at Fairmont construction site

Morgan Modjeski 3 minute read Preview

Person killed in workplace accident at Fairmont construction site

Morgan Modjeski 3 minute read Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Emergency responders were on scene and Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health is investigating after a worker died following an incident at a Winnipeg construction site Thursday.

Little information about the worker killed was provided, but the fatal incident happened at the Fairmont Winnipeg, located at 2 Lombard Place, with police responding around 5 p.m.

The hotel is currently closed and is an active construction site. The person killed has not been identified by name.

Information from a provincial spokesperson said the deceased was working for Kepsco Construction when they were fatally injured after a “portion of an overhead canopy collapsed during asbestos abatement work.”

Read
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Bombers ride Collaros’s arm to win over Stamps

Taylor Allen 6 minute read Preview

Bombers ride Collaros’s arm to win over Stamps

Taylor Allen 6 minute read Yesterday at 11:51 PM CDT

Zach Collaros must’ve found the fountain of youth during his most recent absence.

Nobody has feared the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ passing attack all season, and yet, their veteran pivot aired it out early and often on Saturday night in a game they needed to win.

Led by Collaros and go-to target Dorian Singer, the Bombers prevailed 33-28 over the Calgary Stampeders in front of a sold-out crowd at Princess Auto Stadium to heavily increase their odds of making the playoffs.

“That’s vintage Eight-Ball right there. You love to see it,” said receiver Nic Demski. “Especially the opportunity that we had and him coming back this week, it was just a picture-perfect story.”

Read
Yesterday at 11:51 PM CDT

Protein crests current appetite wave

Laura Rance-Unger 4 minute read Preview

Protein crests current appetite wave

Laura Rance-Unger 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Holiday feasts often reflect the latest fads and trends influencing how we eat.

This Thanksgiving’s table is likely to feature more Canadian content than it might otherwise as a point of national pride.

In the recent past, the carb-free craze has made cauliflower a substitute for the mashed potatoes on some family spreads. Some have gone meatless, while others have added more. Still others offer gluten-free, dairy-free or fat-free alternatives.

Nowadays, it seems consumers can’t get enough protein. Desmond Sobool, deputy chief economist Farm Credit Canada, told a recent economic update for the agri-food sector there are two converging influences in play.

Read
Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT