Pope Francis using sling after injuring forearm in fall

By Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis injured his right forearm after a fall in his residence on Thursday but did not suffer any broken bones and continued on with his agenda for the day, the Vatican said.

Images from the pope's meetings on Thursday morning showed Francis using a simple cloth sling, wrapped around his neck, to hold up his right arm.

The injury is the second in about six weeks for the pope, who bruised his face in an earlier fall in December.

"This morning, due to a fall at the Santa Marta house, Pope Francis suffered a contusion on his right forearm, without fractures. The arm was immobilised as a precautionary measure," a statement said.

The pontiff, who has led the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church since 2013, turned 88 in December and often uses a cane or a wheelchair to move due to knee and back pain.

The pope's previous fall last month was caused when he slipped while getting out of bed and hit his chin on his bedside table, the Vatican said at the time.

Francis has suffered from influenza and related problems several times in the past two years. He also had surgery in 2021 to address a painful condition called diverticulitis, and again in 2023 to repair a hernia.

An aide last week read a major speech to diplomats on behalf of Francis who had been suffering from the effects of a cold.

However, in an autobiography that was published on Tuesday, Francis downplayed concerns about his health and ruled out resigning, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did.

"I am well," he said. "The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs."

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Joshua McElwee, editing by Giulia Segreti and Keith Weir)