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Following a series of health issues over the past few years, Pope Francis was recently seen with mysterious "facial bruising" at an event in Vatican City.
Knewz.com has learned that the pontiff's reported bruises became public as he presided over the Vatican ceremony to install 21 new cardinals.
Photos from the event purportedly showed patches of bruised skin on Pope Francis's chin, raising concerns about the health of the 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church.
However, aside from reportedly appearing slightly fatigued, the Pope went through the ceremony, held at St. Peter's Basilica, without any apparent issues.
The health of Pope Francis has become a matter of concern in recent years, with the pontiff having been confined to a wheelchair due to knee and back pain.
In September 2024, the Pope sparked health fears after being taken to Rome for a CT scan.
At the time, Pope Francis had been suffering from influenza but was able to return to Vatican City after undergoing scans at the Tiber Island hospital.
However, following his return, he delegated his reading at his regular Wednesday weekly audience to an aide, explaining that he had "a bit of a cold."
According to reports, those present noticed that the Pope had a significant cough while he delivered his customary call for peace during his brief statement at the end of the meeting.
It is worth noting that Pope Francis also canceled a trip to the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai in December 2023 because of influenza and lung inflammation.
A month later in January, he blamed being unable to complete a speech on “a touch of bronchitis”. Weeks later he said he still had some “aches and pains” but was feeling better overall.
The Pope's influenza ailment in September 2024 was soon followed by reports of an alleged assassination attempt targeting the pontiff in Indonesia during his visit to the Asia Pacific.
The 12-day tour in September was scheduled to include stops in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore.
The assassination suspects, identified only by their initials HFP, LB, DF, FA, HS, ER, and RS, were arrested on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3 following tips from concerned citizens.
Police raids uncovered weapons, including bows and arrows, a drone, and ISIS propaganda materials, The Sun reported.
Authorities believe the group was angered by Pope Francis’ visit to a mosque in Jakarta.
During the Pope’s visit, Indonesian TV stations were reportedly asked to refrain from broadcasting the usual Islamic call to prayer, which angered the suspects. It has not yet been confirmed how or if all the suspects were directly connected with each other.
Colonel Aswin Siregar, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s anti-terrorism unit Detachment 88, said in a statement at the time that threats were made on social media, prompting action from the unit.
“We have a mechanism to monitor and filter. We had tip-off information from members of the public,” Siregar said.
“Densus 88 has taken legal action against seven individuals…who made threats in the form of propaganda or terror threats via social media in response to the Pope’s arrival. There was also a threat to set fire to the locations.”
In the aftermath of the assassination plot, Pope Francis condemned religious extremism during a speech at the presidential palace in Jakarta.
He stressed the need for dialogue to overcome religious differences, saying, “There are times when faith can be manipulated to foment divisions and increase hatred. Prejudices can be eliminated, and a climate of mutual respect and trust can grow.”