Pope Francis appears publicly for the first time in a wheelchair

The Pope’s aide, 85, climbed on wheels to the podium on Thursday, after which he helped him out and sit on a regular chair. It happened in the auditorium of the Vatican, where the 85-year-old pope met several nuns. He smiles and then reads his speech and answers the questions as usual.

The Pope himself recently reported that doctors had ordered him to reduce pressure on the joint due to pain in his right knee. Recently, the Pope has been limping a lot during his public appearances, and had to cancel several activities in recent weeks. This week, Francis gave an interview to the newspaper Corriere della Sera He also said he had an injury to his knee ligaments and had to have a minor injection. The injection was reportedly given on Tuesday. It’s not entirely clear what causes the pain in Pope’s knee.

Cancellations are not expected in the coming weeks: the wheelchair will become well established. Francis needs to cut his knee, including during his planned visits to Lebanon, South Sudan, Congo and Canada.