Pope trip to Africa in July postponed because of knee problem, Vatican says

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis waves after the weekly general audience at the Vatican, June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis' July 2-7 trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan has been indefinitely postponed because of the 85-year-old pontiff's knee ailment, the Vatican said on Friday.

A statement said the postponement was made 'with regret' at the requests of the pope's doctors, who have been treating him for a torn ligament in his knee. The condition has forced him to use a wheelchair for the last month or so.