Pope Francis confirms that he is coming to Belgium during his weekly audience at St Peter's Square (original) (raw)

The Pope is due to arrive in Belgium tomorrow and remain here until Sunday 29 September. During his stay he will visit Leuven (Flemish Brabant), Louvain-la-Neuve (Walloon Brabant), the National Basilica in Koekelberg (Brussels) and celebrate mass at the King Boudewijn Stadium in Brussels.

Pope Francis held his weekly audience at St Peter's Square in Rome on Wednesday morning. On Monday and Tuesday he had cancelled his appointments due to mild flu symptoms. There were fears illness would prevent the 87-year-old Pontiff from visiting Belgium.

The Vatican has not yet released details about the Pope's current state of health. According to the Reuters press agency, Pope Francis appeared to be in good health during Wednesday morning’s audience. Nevertheless, he did occasionally have to cough while speaking.

The Pope has been struggling with health issues and has also been using a wheelchair. During the audience, Pope Francis expressed his intention to travel to Belgium on Thursday. He also asked for prayers to ensure that his visit here will be a success. The trip to Belgium and Luxembourg will be his 46th foreign trip as Pope.