Pope apologises for sitting during audience

Pope Francis on Wednesday morning publicly apologized for needing to be seated for the final greetings of his general audience in St Peter's Square due to continuing pain in his right knee.

 Francis on Tuesday canceled his daily meetings again because of the acute knee pain which has greatly curtailed his mobility in recent months. Francis cleared his schedule for medical checks, the results of which have not been released. The 85-year-old has said he strained the ligaments in his right knee, making walking, standing and getting up from his chair increasingly difficult and painful. He has had to bow out of celebrating several recent liturgical events, including the Easter Vigil and a Mass this past Sunday. Francis now frequently walks with a shuffle and the assistance of an aide. He has a packed travel schedule coming up, including reported trips to Lebanon in June, Congo, South Sudan and Canada in July and Kazakhstan in September.