ROME — Pope Francis postponed a series of meetings because of a lung inflammation and breathing difficulties, the Vatican said Monday morning.

Lung inflammation and breathing difficulties forced Pope Francis to cancel several meetings, the Vatican said Monday.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis is still having trouble breathing as a result of a lung inflammation that forced him to cancel his scheduled address at the U.N. climate conference in Dubai and to delegate the reading of his weekly catechesis lesson and other remarks to aides, the Vatican said Wednesday.

Pope Francis announced Thursday that he is afflicted with “very acute infectious bronchitis" to an audience at the “Ethics in Health Management" seminar held at the Vatican.

Pope Francis said Thursday he is recovering from "very acute infectious bronchitis" and canceled his participation in the world climate change summit this weekend.

Pope Francis said on Thursday that he is suffering from acute, infectious bronchitis and that doctors recommended he cancel his planned visit to Dubai this weekend to avoid the quick changes in temperature that would be involved.

Pope Francis on Thursday said he was suffering from a highly infectious and acute form of bronchitis that has prevented him from making the trip to Dubai this weekend for the COP28 climate summit.

Pope Francis will not attend the COP28 climate summit in Dubai as he deals with the flu and lung inflammation, the Vatican announced.

Francis, who turns 87 next month, was scheduled to leave Rome on Friday to address the COP28 meeting first thing Saturday morning. He also was supposed to inaugurate a faith pavilion Sunday on the sidelines of the conference before returning home.