Pope Francis, 85, was forced to postpone his trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, scheduled for July 2-7, due to knee pain, the Vatican announced on Friday.
“At the request of his doctors, and in order not to compromise the results of a knee therapy still in progress, the Holy Father regrets being forced to postpone his trip (…) to a later date that remains to be defined” , announced in a statement the director of the press services of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni.
Francisco has suffered pain in his right knee in recent weeks, and last month he appeared for the first time in a wheelchair at a public event.
He has called off numerous engagements — already postponing a planned trip to Lebanon in June — and has been seen at times having difficulty walking.
The Vatican has not officially reported what kind of problem the pontiff has, although some sources told AFP that he suffers from chronic arthritis.
Francisco himself has spoken about a damaged ligament in his knee. He stated last month to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that he would be intervened for “an infiltration”, which according to Vatican sources involves the injection of anti-inflammatories.
