Pope’s visit to Dubai cancelled to ensure full recovery

In a statement released on Friday, 1 December, the Director of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni, announced that “Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will lead the Holy See Delegation already present in Dubai for cop28 ”, where he will deliver “the contribution that the Holy Father would have liked to pronounce”, on Saturday 2 December.

Cardinal Parolin will also participate in the inauguration of the Faith Pavilion at Expo City in Dubai on Sunday, 3 December, along with Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

Despite the improvement in Pope Francis’ health following a recent lung inflammation, physicians had asked the Holy Father not to undertake his scheduled journey to Dubai, and he accepted their advice “with great regret”, earlier this week.