The Pope is to be admitted to hospital for tests and treatment for ongoing his bronchitis, after he admitted that he "can't read".
After Friday's daily audience he will be taken to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, the Vatican said.
A statement from the Vatican said: "This morning, after his audiences, Pope Francis will be admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic for necessary diagnostic tests and to continue hospital treatment for his ongoing bronchitis."
It added that he will not not hold meetings on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Pope Francis will be taken to hospital later today
GettyTwo days ago during his weekly general audience, Pope Francis paused and said: "Me, with my bronchitis, I cannot (read) still."
"I hope that next time I can," he said, before an aide continued the reading for him.
The Pope was diagnosed with bronchitis last Thursday, but since then has continued his activities and audiences.
He was treated for the condition at Gemelli Polyclinic in March 2023, spending three nights there.
In the past two years, his health has begun to take a turn for the worse, suffering with bouts of influenza and other health complications.
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Pope Francis greets a child on the day of the weekly general audience last month
ReutersFrancis, who became Pope in 2013, has been admitted to hospital on a number of occasions in recent years.
In 2021 he underwent surgery to address a painful condition called diverticulitis and went under the knife in 2023 to repair a hernia.
Earlier this month, Francis told a weekly audience that he was suffering from a "strong cold", which the Vatican later described as bronchitis.
He often uses a walker or cane when moving around due to his bad knees. He is also sometimes pushed in a wheelchair in public.
Pope Francis launched a crackdown against access Traditional Latin Mass, sometimes called the Trident RiteReutersLast month, he fell over at his home in Santa Manta, injuring his right arm.
The Pope regularly downplays concerns about his health and has also ruled out resigning, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did, breaking a 600-year-old tradition.
"I am well," Pope Francis said in January. "The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs."
He said it was "embarrassing at first to have to use a wheelchair, but old age never arrives by itself, and it must be accepted for what it is".
