VATICAN CITY 1 Mar (ANA) - Pope Francis announced on Sunday that a cold he is suffering from has forced him to skip a Lenten spiritual retreat with senior Vatican officials near Rome for the first time in his papacy. 

The surprise announcement, which will keep him from attending a gathering he holds dear, marked the first health scare for the 83-year-old pontiff since his election in 2013. 

As of late Saturday night, the Vatican said that the pope would be taking part in the retreat, indicating that the decision to skip it was a last-minute one. The retreat was due to start on Sunday afternoon. 

The pope made the announcement to thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square during his first public appearance since last Wednesday, when he was seen coughing and sneezing. 

“Unfortunately a cold will force me not take part this year (in the retreat). I will follow the meditations from here,” he said, departing from his prepared address. 

Francis coughed several times while making his brief address on Sunday and sounded like he had a stuffy nose. Francis is missing a part of one lung. It was removed when he was in his early 20s in his native Buenos Aires after an illness. 

The Vatican had previously said only that Francis was suffering from a “slight indisposition” that forced him to cancel most audiences in the past three days. 

“I will unite myself spiritually with the (participants) and all people who are living moments of prayer. I will do the spiritual exercises from home,” he said. 

The respected website Il Sismografo, which follows Church affairs, said it was the first time since 1950 that a pope has missed a Lenten retreat. 

Home for the pope is Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house where he lives in simple quarters after opting not to use the spacious papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.(ANA)

FA/ANA/1 March 2020--------