The Vatican announced in a brief statement that Pope Francis’ activities scheduled for this morning were canceled due to his “slight cold", according to Agence France-Presse.

The statement said, "His Holiness the Pope's meetings scheduled for this morning were canceled due to his contracting a mild cold," without giving further details. The Pope's health has deteriorated in recent months, forcing him to use a wheelchair, which has raised speculation about the possibility of him abandoning the pontificate, similar to what his predecessor Benedict XVI did.

Today's announcement comes a week before his scheduled trip to Dubai, where he will participate in the United Nations Climate Conference.

Pope Francis, who has made defending the environment one of the pillars of his pontificate, is scheduled to address the Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai on December 2. He is expected to denounce the inaction of concerned countries and urge them to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.