The 84-year-old will not deliver the Mass on Sunday nor the evening prayer at St. Paul’s Basilica. A meeting with the diplomatic corps on Monday will also be rescheduled. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the cancellation of the events was “due to a recurrence of sciatica”.
In a statement, he said: “Due to the return of sciatica, the celebration of Mass tomorrow (January 24) will not be led by the Holy Father, but by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.”
Mr. However, Bruni confirmed that Pope Francis would still perform the Angelus blessing on Sunday afternoon, indicating that his condition is not too serious this time.
Pope Francis has been suffering from sciatica for decades, a painful nervous condition.
Sciatica can cause severe pain in the lower abdomen due to the compression of nerve roots that run from the lower spine to the thigh.
Papal travel is by no means exhaustive.
It usually involves a lot of appointments, long misses and reception lines on a daily basis, as well as various transportation by car and plane. After being forced to cancel three opportunities during the coming days.