Pope cancels Florence visit, Ash Wednesday service due to knee pain

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis holds the weekly general audience at the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, February 23, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis has been forced to cancel a trip to Florence this Sunday and Ash Wednesday services next week because of an acute flare up of pain in his knee, the Vatican said on Friday.

The 85-year-old pope suffers from sciatica, a nerve condition that causes pain in his legs. He has recently read a few speeches sitting down, citing pain in his knee.