Pope Francis apologized to his faithful flock after his sciatica forced him to stay seated while addressing a Catholic Church tribunal in the Vatican City.
The 84-year-old Argentine has been forced to cancel a number of recent events due to the nerve pain.
“I would like to talk to you, but sciatica is a troublesome guest,” the pope told members of the Roman Rota on Friday, according to Agence France-Presse.
“I apologize and will sit while I sit down,” he told members of the tribunal as he marked the beginning of the Judgment Seat of the Holy See.
Francis skipped New Year’s Knives at St. Peter’s Basilica and two misses earlier this week due to an attack with the chronic condition that causes pain in his hip.
He postponed his New Year’s greeting to ambassadors on Monday, but was able to lead a Sunday afternoon prayer as planned.
In 2013, he told reporters that he had an attack on sciatica after being elected head of the Catholic Church earlier that year.
“The worst thing that happened, excuse me, was an attack of sciatica, really, that I had the first month because I was sitting in an armchair doing interviews and it hurt,” he said at the time. said the French. news agency.
‘Sciatica is very painful, very painful. I do not wish it on anyone. ”
The pope is walking slightly slack due to the condition, but is otherwise in good health.
His current medical outburst has raised questions about his planned March trip to Iraq.
He and his predecessor, Pope Benedict, received the coronavirus vaccine earlier this year.
With Post threads