El papa Francisco anula su visita de julio a RDC y Sudán del Sur por problema de la rodilla / Pope cancels trip to Congo and South Sudan due to bad knee
El Vaticano no ha informado oficialmente sobre qué tipo de problema tiene el pontífice, aunque algunas fuentes indicaron a la AFP que padece de una artritis crónica
El papa Francisco, de 85 años de edad, se vio obligado a posponer su viaje a República Democrática del Congo (RDC) y a Sudán del Sur, previsto del 2 al 7 de julio, debido a dolores en una rodilla, anunció el viernes el Vaticano.
«A solicitud de sus médicos, y con el fin de no comprometer los resultados de una terapia de la rodilla aún en curso, el Santo Padre lamenta verse obligado a posponer su viaje (…) a una fecha ulterior que queda por definir», anunció en un comunicado el director del servicios de prensa de la Santa Sede, Matteo Bruni.
Francisco ha sufrido dolores en su rodilla derecha en las últimas semanas, y el mes pasado apareció por primera vez en silla de ruedas en un evento público.
Ha suspendido numerosos compromisos –y ya pospuso un viaje previsto a Líbano en junio– y se le ha visto a veces con dificultades para caminar.
El Vaticano no ha informado oficialmente sobre qué tipo de problema tiene el pontífice, aunque algunas fuentes indicaron a la AFP que padece de una artritis crónica.
El propio Francisco ha hablado sobre un ligamento dañado en su rodilla. Afirmó el mes pasado al diario italiano Corriere della Sera que sería intervenido para «una infiltración», lo que según fuentes vaticanas supone la inyección de antinflamatorios. Por AFP
Pope cancels trip to Congo and South Sudan due to bad knee
Pope Francis has canceled a planned July trip to Africa on doctors’ orders because of ongoing knee problems
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis canceled a planned July trip to Africa on doctors’ orders because of ongoing knee problems, the Vatican said Friday, dashing hopes of the faithful there and raising further questions about the health and mobility problems of the 85-year-old pontiff.
The Vatican said the July 2-7 trip to Congo and South Sudan would be rescheduled “to a later date to be determined.”
“At the request of his doctors, and in order not to jeopardize the results of the therapy that he is undergoing for his knee, the Holy Father has been forced to postpone, with regret, his Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo and to South Sudan,” the Vatican said in a statement.
Francis has been using a wheelchair for a month due to strained ligaments in his right knee that have made walking and standing difficult and painful. He has refused so far to get surgery, and has instead received injections, kept the knee as immobile as possible and walked with a cane or the help of an aide.
Questions had swirled for months about Francis’ ability to negotiate the Africa journey, which would have been taxing for the pope even without the knee problems. Yet as recently as this week, plans were proceeding with the Vatican releasing the names of accredited journalists who were due to fly on the papal plane.
Francis had been due to visit South Sudan with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the head of the Church of Scotland to make a joint, ecumenical appeal for peace. Such a trip had been discussed as early as 2017 but security concerns kept postponing it.
The Rev. John Gbemyoro, an official with the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said Friday’s news dashed expectations of Christians in both countries.
“We don’t love to hear it,” Gbemyoro told The Associated Press. “But we are asking God to heal him quickly because we still need him to come to South Sudan.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, said they were praying for Francis and regretted the trip would again be postponed.
“I continue to pray for the people of South Sudan in their challenges and hopes for peace, and look forward to this historic visit at a later date,” Welby tweeted.
By Nicole Winfield Associated Press
June 10, 2022, 11:50 AM