ROME (AP) — Pope Francis told ambassadors accredited to the Holy See on Thursday that he wasn’t up to delivering his annual foreign policy speech and asked an aide to deliver it instead.
A congested-sounding Francis began the speech, greeting the ambassadors gathered in the Hall of Blessings.
But just a few lines into the lengthy speech, which usually recaps highlights of the past year, the 88-year-old Francis said he was still battling a cold and handed the remarks over to an aide.
Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, often suffers bouts of bronchitis in winter that leave him out of breath and make it difficult to speak at length. He has just emerged from a grueling Christmas period in which he inaugurated the Vatican’s Holy Year celebrations.
He has sounded congested in recent days but has nevertheless kept up with his typically busy schedule.
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Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
ESTAVAYER-LE-LAC, Switzerland (AP) — Two-time Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel is expected to return to competition this month after a serious crash last year, Tour de Romandie organizers said on Thursday.
Evenepoel sustained multiple fractures, a dislocated collarbone and lung contusions in December when he crashed into a vehicle while training in Belgium.
“From the first lists of entries received by the race organization, one name has already emerged that is sure to thrill the public: The prodigious Remco Evenepoel, double Olympic champion in Paris,” Tour de Romandie organizers said.
Evenepoel's Soudal Quick-Step team has yet to confirm his participation, and it's unclear whether he will resume racing before the Tour de Romandie, which takes place in Switzerland from April 29-May 4.
The 25-year-old Evenepoel crashed into the open door of a Post Office van on Dec. 3. The impact was heavy enough to break the frame of his bicycle. He underwent successful surgery.
Evenepoel's main goal this season is the Tour de France in July.
He was third last year at cycling's biggest race. He went on to become the first cyclist to sweep the road race and time trial at an Olympic Games in Paris in August.
A two-time world champion, Evenepoel also won the Spanish Vuelta in 2022.
AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling
FILE -Remco Evenepoel, of Belgium, celebrates winning the men's road cycling event, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File)
