Pope Francis decided to cancel three apparitions to come, after an outbreak of back pain, the Vatican said.
The 84-year-old will go ahead with the Angelus’ blessing at noon on Sunday, but will not do mass or evening prayers at St. Paul’s Basilica. A meeting with the diplomatic corps at the Holy See on Monday will also be rescheduled.
These three events will not see the pope’s participation “due to a recurrence of sciatica,” said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni on Saturday night.
Sciatica, a form of pain caused by something pressing on the sciatic nerve, can affect a person’s lower back to the legs. It is usually caused by a disc sliding in the spine.
This is not the first time Francis has canceled sightings due to nerve pain – he was forced to skip New Year’s ceremonies a few weeks ago due to an outbreak, raising concerns about an upcoming international trip.
The pope is due to visit Iraq between March 3 and 8 – but these visits are tiring in any circumstances, with many appointments every day, along with long masses and reception lines, and several transfers by car and plane.
There were also questions about the trip regarding the status of the coronavirus pandemic.