Pope Francis has decided to cancel three upcoming appearances after a bout of nervous back pain, the Vatican said.
The 84-year-old will continue with the blessing of the Angelus at noon on Sunday, but will not say mass or prayer in the evening 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 involvement “due to the recurrence of sciatica,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Saturday evening.
Sciatica, a form of pain caused by something that presses on the sciatic nerve, can affect a person’s lower back to the legs. It is often caused by a slipped disc in the spine.
This is not the first time Francis has canceled appearances due to nerve pain; a few weeks ago he was forced to skip New Year’s ceremonies due to an outburst, prompting concern about an upcoming international trip.
The pope is due to visit Iraq between March 3 and 8, but those visits are tiring in any case, with many appointments each day, along with long masses and reception lines, and multiple car and plane transfers.
There have also been questions about the trip about the state of the coronavirus pandemic.