Pope cancels trips to Congo and South Sudan due to knee problems

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has canceled his planned trip to Congo and South Sudan in July on medical orders due to ongoing knee problems.

The Vatican said on Friday that the trip had been postponed but no new date had been set.

“At the request of his doctors and in order not to jeopardize the results of the therapy he is undergoing for his knee, the Holy Father has been forced to regretfully postpone his Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, scheduled for the July 2-7, until a later date to be determined,” the Vatican said in a statement.

Francis has been in a wheelchair for about a month because the ligaments in his right knee have strained, making it difficult to walk and stand.