Pope Francis has decided to cancel three future appearances after an explosion of nervous back pain, the Vatican said.
The 84-year-old will continue with the Angelus blessing on Sunday at noon, but will offer neither Mass nor evening prayer at St. Paul’s Basilica. A meeting with the diplomatic corps at the Holy See will take place on Monday. also be reprogrammed.
These three events will not see the participation of the pope “due to the reappearance of sciatica,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said on Saturday night.
Sciatica, a form of pain caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, can affect a person’s lower back, up to their feet. It is often caused by a disc slipping into the spine.
This is not the first time Francis has canceled his appearances due to nervous pain – he was forced to skip New Year’s ceremonies a few weeks ago due to an explosion, which has raised concerns about a future international trip.
The Pope is due to visit Iraq from March 3 to 8 – but such visits are tiring in all circumstances, with many meetings every day, along with long Masses and reception lines and multiple transfers by car and plane.
There were also travel questions about the state of the coronavirus pandemic.