On January 16, Pope Francis was seen with his arm in a sling. He had hurt his right arm after a fall. The Vatican press office shared that he suffered a contusion to his right forearm. No fracture was found. His arm was immobilized as a precaution.
Photographs were taken during the morning meetings. The sling appeared to be made of an elastic bandage tied around his neck. Despite the injury, the Pope shook hands with his left hand. He also signed a document with his right hand.
Earlier, in December, Pope Francis had fallen again. He hit his chin on a bedside table. A bruise was visible on the right side of his face. This happened just before he created 21 new cardinals.
For weeks, his voice had been hoarse. On January 9, he met with ambassadors. He read only the first part of his speech. He explained that he had a cold. He asked an aide to read the rest. Since then, he has read his texts by himself, though his voice still sounds rough.
