Pope injures arm in a fall, wears sling at audiences

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.

With his right arm in a sling, Pope Francis uses his left hand to greet Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, chair of the Committee on World Food Security, during a meeting at the Vatican Jan. 16, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

“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.