Thursday, February 24 2005 19:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Vatican City: Pope John Paul II has today (Feb 24, 2005) been hospitalised at the Gemelli clinic in Rome suffering a flu relapse, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarrro-Valls said.

He said the Pope suffered a relapse yesterday, but was not hospitalised until early today.

"Yesterday afternoon, the Holy Father suffered a relapse of the flu that affected him in recent weeks. For that reason he has been hospitalised this morning at the Gemelli for specialised treatment and tests," Navarro-Valls said.

The Pope today missed a consistory for the first time in his 26-year pontificate.

Yesterday, a hoarse Pope John Paul II had addressed pilgrims by video-conference from inside his Vatican apartment amid doctors' concerns that he risked just such a relapse.

The Pontiff, who will be 85 in May, remained in his library for the weekly general audience as for the first time in his pontificate a video-link was used to broadcast his message to pilgrims in the Vatican's draughty Paul VI hall.

Though he strained to complete his address, the polyglot Pope did however manage to make his usual greetings in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish.

The Pope, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, was rushed to hospital last month with acute breathing difficulties related to the flu and remained there for almost 10 days. His condition has been closely monitored since.