Pope injures arm in a fall, wears sling at audiences

January 17, 2025 at 10:46 a.m.
Pope Francis, wearing a sling on his right arm after a fall, uses his left hand to greet Edmond Brahimaj, leader of the Bektashi community of Muslim Sufis from Tirana, Albania, at the Vatican Jan. 16, 2025. The Vatican said the pope injured his arm in a fall and while nothing was broken, the arm was immobilized as “a cautionary measure.” (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
Pope Francis, wearing a sling on his right arm after a fall, uses his left hand to greet Edmond Brahimaj, leader of the Bektashi community of Muslim Sufis from Tirana, Albania, at the Vatican Jan. 16, 2025. The Vatican said the pope injured his arm in a fall and while nothing was broken, the arm was immobilized as “a cautionary measure.” (CNS photo/Vatican Media) (Vatican Media)

By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY CNS – Pope Francis was wearing his arm in a sling during his meetings and audiences Jan. 16 after hurting his right arm in a fall.

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

The note was published after Vatican Media had distributed photographs of the 88-year-old pontiff's morning meetings in which he was wearing a sling that appeared to be made from an elastic bandage tied at his neck. While the photos showed shaking hands with his left hand, other photos showed him using his right hand to sign a document.

He also had fallen in early December, hitting his chin on his bedside table and sporting a significant bruise on the right side of his face when he created 21 new cardinals Dec. 7.

Pope Francis' voice also has sounded hoarse for weeks. When he met Jan. 9 with ambassadors serving at the Vatican, Pope Francis read only the first paragraph of his prepared text. Explaining that he was "still suffering from a bit of a cold," he asked an aide, Msgr. Filippo Ciampanelli, to read the rest of his text.

While his voice continued to sound rough, he had read his prepared texts himself since that audience.

The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.


Related Stories

VATICAN CITY CNS – Pope Francis was wearing his arm in a sling during his meetings and audiences Jan. 16 after hurting his right arm in a fall.

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

The note was published after Vatican Media had distributed photographs of the 88-year-old pontiff's morning meetings in which he was wearing a sling that appeared to be made from an elastic bandage tied at his neck. While the photos showed shaking hands with his left hand, other photos showed him using his right hand to sign a document.

He also had fallen in early December, hitting his chin on his bedside table and sporting a significant bruise on the right side of his face when he created 21 new cardinals Dec. 7.

Pope Francis' voice also has sounded hoarse for weeks. When he met Jan. 9 with ambassadors serving at the Vatican, Pope Francis read only the first paragraph of his prepared text. Explaining that he was "still suffering from a bit of a cold," he asked an aide, Msgr. Filippo Ciampanelli, to read the rest of his text.

While his voice continued to sound rough, he had read his prepared texts himself since that audience.

The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.

Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Bishop O'Connell on Super Bowl LIX
Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., is all set to watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs ...

Father Koch: In encountering Jesus, Simon recognizes he needs to repent
Jesus has begun his public ministry and is beginning ...

Listen, Respond, and Trust
Like most kids in high school, I couldn’t wait to get...

A new perspective
Like most Catholics, my family and I have a particular pew....

Can you receive Communion twice in one day?
To start with the second part of your question, the short answer is...


The Evangelist, 40 North Main Ave., Albany, NY, 12203-1422 | PHONE: 518-453-6688| FAX: 518-453-8448
© 2025 Trenton Monitor, All Rights Reserved.