VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis again cancels public appearances due to nerve pain.
Francis will not attend three rallies in the coming days “due to the recurrence of sciatica,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement on Saturday.
The 84-year-old pope continues the Angelus blessing on Saturday, delivered from the Apostolic Library instead of a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square due to the virus revival. But he will not say Sunday in the Vatican Basilica or a planned evening prayer at the St. Vatican said.
Nerve pain also forced the pope to skip New Year’s ceremonies in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The flare-up of Francis’ sciatica raises questions about his planned trip from March 3-8 to Iraq, a visit that some have questioned given the coronavirus pandemic.
Papal travel is exhausting under all circumstances, with many appointments per day, long misses and reception lines and various transportation by car and plane.
Francis has spoken openly about his sciatica in the past. It is a form of pain in the lower abdomen caused by compression or irritation on nerve roots or on the nervous system, which runs from the lower spine to the thigh.