Pope Francis’ arm is in a sling Thursday after the Vatican confirmed he was injured in a fall, the second such incident in a matter of weeks.
The Vatican said Francis fell inside his residence Thursday morning and said he is now using a cloth sling to support his right arm. Francis also fell and injured his face just six weeks ago in December.
“This morning, due to a fall at the Santa Marta house, Pope Francis suffered a contusion on his right forearm, without fractures. The arm was immobilized as a precautionary measure,” a statement said.
The falls are the latest in a series of health issues that have struck the pope, including longstanding knee issues and multiple surgeries in 2021 and 2023.
Francis has pushed back on murmurs of his resignation. He wrote in an autobiography published on Tuesday that he is “well.”
“The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs,” he wrote.
The fall comes just days after President Biden gifted Pope Francis the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that can be granted in the U.S. The gift was sent over the phone, however, as Biden canceled a previously planned trip to Rome due to the California wildfires.
Instead, Biden bestowed the award on the pope during a phone call in which they also discussed efforts to promote peace and alleviate suffering around the world.
“Pope Francis is unlike any who came before,” a White House announcement reads. “Above all, he is the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.”
It was the first time during his four years in office that Biden awarded the medal “with distinction,” it said.
Biden, 82, leaves office on Jan. 20. The lifelong Catholic is also a recipient of the award with distinction, recognized when he was vice president by then-President Barack Obama in a surprise ceremony eight years ago. That was the only time in Obama’s two terms when he awarded that version of the medal, according to the Associated Press.
