The Vatican announced the cancellation of Pope Francis's scheduled meetings for today, Monday, due to a mild case of influenza, just days before his trip to Belgium and Luxembourg.

In an official statement, the Vatican noted that the cancellation of the pope's meetings is a precautionary step to ensure public safety.

Pope Francis is set to visit Luxembourg on Thursday and will spend the rest of the week in Belgium, concluding his tour with a Mass in Brussels on Sunday.

Earlier, global media discussed Pope Francis's health, mentioning that he spoke with journalists after his visit to Canada and indicated that he would likely need to limit his travel and movements due to his knee condition.

The health of the pope has raised concerns among hundreds of thousands of believers worldwide, as he has experienced increasing health issues over the past year, including persistent pain in his right knee and sciatica. His hospitalization due to bronchitis also caused widespread concern.

Francis, who is 87 years old and has faced a series of health challenges in recent years, had a busy schedule of meetings since returning from an 11-day tour across four Asian countries on September 13, which was the longest and farthest trip of his papacy.