VATICAN CITY, Sept 23, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Francis, who recently returned from a gruelling 12-day trip, cancelled his public meetings Monday due to "light flu symptoms", so he could rest ahead of a visit to Belgium this week, the Vatican said.

"Due to a mild bout of flu, and as a precautionary measure in view of the journey over the next few days, the papal audiences scheduled for today are cancelled", the Vatican press office said.

The Argentine pontiff, who took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013, has been plagued in recent years by health issues, including bouts of flu earlier this year and a case of bronchitis at the end of last year.

His 12-day trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, from September 2 to 13, was particularly tiring, encompassing a distance of 32,000 kilometres (almost 20,000 miles).

On Thursday, he is due to set off again, this time for a four-day trip to Luxembourg and Belgium.