Pope Francis Cancels Day’s Activities Due to Knee Pain, Says Vatican

At the general audience on Jan. 26, he said the reason he was unable to greet pilgrims as usual was because of a temporary “problem with my right leg,” an inflamed knee ligament.

With a smile, he added: “They say this only comes to old people, and I don’t know why it has come to me, but ... I don’t know.”

On Good Friday, Pope Francis did not prostrate himself before the cross. The pope also opted to not celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass, though he attended and delivered the homily.

On Easter Sunday, he had to sit down part way through his delivery of the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing.

Pope Francis has also received more assistance walking and going up and down stairs in recent weeks.

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While meeting with members of the Trinitarian order on Monday, Pope Francis referred to his knee ailment, which kept him from standing to greet all of them.

“After the photo I will greet you, but excuse me, as I have to do so seated, not standing, because of my knee... It is that condition that used to be called ‘nun’s disease,’ because it was the time when the nuns prayed, and they spent so much time praying on their knees that they suffered from this! It will heal, but in the meantime, we need to do things in the right way,” he said on April 25.