Pope Francis has decided to cancel three upcoming performances after a flare-up of nerve pain in his back, the Vatican said.
The 84-year-old will still continue with the Angelus Blessing at noon on Sunday, but he will not hold mass or evening prayers at St. Monday, a meeting with the diplomatic corps to the Holy See will also be rescheduled.
These three events will not witness the Pope’s participation “because of a recurrence of sciatica,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Saturday night.
Sciatica, a type of pain caused by something pressing on the sciatic nerve, can affect the lower back down to the legs. It is often caused by a hernia in the spine.
This isn’t the first time Francis has canceled performances due to nerve pain – he was forced to skip New Year’s ceremonies a few weeks ago due to a flare, which left him worried about an upcoming international trip.
The Pope will visit Iraq between March 3 and 8 – but such visits are tiring under any circumstances, with many appointments per day, along with long masses and reception lines, and multiple transfers by car and plane.
There have also been questions about the trip about the state of the coronavirus pandemic.