Pope Francis enjoys circus at first public appearance after last-minute trip cancellation

Pope Francis presided at his weekly audience with the public at the Vatican on Wednesday the day after his scheduled trip to Dubai was cancelled due to his health conditions.

At the beginning of the audience he said that he's still unwell and asked an aide to read his remarks for him.

He coughed when speaking to the audience at the end.

But he seemed amused as circus performers did acrobatic moves for him and posed for a photo on the stage of a Vatican auditorium.

Francis has a lung inflammation causing breathing problems.

The Vatican announced on Tuesday he was scratching his three-day trip to the COP28 U.N. climate in Dubai upon medical advice.

The Holy See's announcement of the cancelled trip also said that his medical condition had improved, but noted that the pope had the flu and “inflammation of the respiratory airways.”

Francis, who will turn 87 on December 17 and had part of one lung removed as a young man, coughed near the end of the hourlong audience in a Vatican auditorium as he made some final comments, then stood up from his chair on the stage to give his blessing.

The pontiff spoke at the end of the audience though, with a hoarse voice and hard breathing at times, voicing his contentment over the truce in fighting between Israel and Hamas, and saying he hopes it continues “so that all the hostages are released and access to the necessary humanitarian aid” to reach Gaza is provided.

"There is no water, there is no bread, people are suffering,'' Francis said.